Benefit or Friendly Societies. 125 



Of the immense benefits afforded by Friendly Societies, some 

 idea may be formed from the returns given in to the Highland 

 Society of Scotland in 1822, from 79 societies in various parts 

 of Scotland. By those returns, it appears, that these few 

 societies, comprising not above 10^000 members annually, had 

 alone actually paid for no less than 132,964 weeks of sickness 

 and infirmity, in a medium period of 13 years only, or at the 

 rate of 10,228 weeks yearly. The total sum, therefore, paid by 

 them, during these 13 years, at the low calculation of 5s. per 

 week, would amount to L. 33,241, or L. 2,557 annually ; and 

 if the same rate be taken for the whole societies in Britain, it 

 will be found that their distribution will amount to L. 411,823 

 annually for sickness benefit alone. 



No returns of the mortality among Friendly Society mem- 

 bers have been obtained ; but as these societies pay sums upon 

 the death both of members and their wives, and supposing only 

 two-thirds of the members to be married, the number of mem- 

 bers and their wives insured for this benefit will be 2,684,285 

 yearly. Taking their average age at 40 (40.3 being that of the 

 male members of the 79 Scotch societies above referred to), 

 and their annual mortality at 76 in 3635, which is that given 

 by the Northampton tables, the number of deaths occurring 

 yearly will be 56,123 ; the payments for which, at the rate of 

 L. 5 for each, will be L. 280,615 annually.* 



Hence it will be seen, that the distributions for sickness 

 and deaths alone amount to L. 692,438 in the year ; but, as 

 there are several other benefits granted by many Friendly So- 

 cieties, such as widows^ annuities, allowances to orphans, &c., 

 their total annual payments may be estimated at nearly a million 

 Sterling ! 



When, therefore, the very great relief thus afforded both to 

 parishes and individuals is considered. Friendly Societies are 



• As each society has hitherto limited its benefits to a certain uniform sum 

 for all the members, it frequently became necessary for a person to be in more 

 societies than one. Hence the actual number of different individuals ^d 

 deaths occurring yearly in Friendly Societies, would not be so great as that 

 stated in the text ; but this circumstance does not of course diminish the esti- 

 mated amount of distributions. 



