Benefit or Friendly Societies. 9S5 



the present, confine our attention to what relates to the rate of 

 sickness. 



By the Minutes of Evidence annexed to the Report it ap- 

 pears, that in England, as in Scotland, Friendly Societies are 

 continually becoming bankrupt, and that very few are esta- 

 blished upon proper principles. It likewise appears, however, 

 that, since the statutory enactment in 1819, which requires 

 the rules of all societies in England presented to the Jus- 

 tices for sanction, to have the certificate of two actuaries or ac- 

 countants that they are founded upon proper calculations, some 

 attention has been paid to the average rate of sickness. Several 

 new societies, upon a very extensive scale, and on scientific prin- 

 ciples, have also been instituted in London, Nottinghamshire, 

 and Hampshire, which promise to have a very beneficial efi*ect on 

 other societies in England. 



The first witness examined (March 8. 1825) was tlie Reverend J. T. Be- 

 cher, chairman of the Quarter-Sessions of Southwell, founder of the Friendly- 

 Institution there, and author of various pamphlets on Friendly Societies. He 

 states, " Respecting sickness, I have deduced my information from the inves- 

 tigation of several societies, whose rates of assurance, and the state of whose 

 funds, I now submit. I have likewise calculated that the sickness of human 

 life, being the general cause of mortality, is in a great degree commensurate 

 with that of mortality ; it is the relation necessarily subsisting between cause 

 and effect."—" The Southwell tables calculate the number or" sick members 

 under the age of 25 at 1 in 46.22 ; from the age of 25 to 30 at 1 in 37.81 ; from 

 30 to 40 at 1 in 32 ; and from 40 to 50 at 1 in 27-73 ; which proportions com- 

 mon observation will convince us exceed the 'ordinary proportions of sickness 

 prevailing around us. Indeed, the health of the members in the Southwell 

 Institution has, during the short period of our existence (about two years), 

 been so favourable, and the judgment of the surgeon so satisfactory, that al- 

 though severial have entitled themselves to an immediate allowance in sick- 

 ness, we have, in twenty. one months, only paid L. 1, 18s. for such assurances, 

 and among our members not t death has occurred." — " In the Castle Eden 

 Friendly Society, in the county of Durham, the average number of members 

 during 30 years, ended on 31st December 1823, was 178, and the average pro- 

 portion of permanent sick 1 in 100,1 ; and in the Friendly Society, held at the 

 Crown Inn in Southwell, the average number of members for 29 years, ended 

 on 31st December 1823, was 67-4 ; and the permanent sick 1 in 135.8. In the 

 Friendly Society at Lowth, in Lincolnshire, the average number of members 

 for eight years ended on the 31st of December 1822, was 71'1, and for nine 

 years, ended on 31st December 1823, 74.5. During the former period, the 

 proportion of permanent sick was only 1 in 163.5, and during the latter, 1 in 

 127.4." It may here be remarked, that, in all these societies, except that at 

 Southwell, the sickness is taken upon an average of the whole members in 

 each society, without distinction of age, in the same way as had been done by 

 the Reverend Mr Wilkie and Mr Burns, in the cases formerly noticed. But 

 it must be obvious, that no satisfactory results could be obtained from any 

 rate of sickness thus deduced, it being evident that, in other societies 

 consisting of the same number of members, but of different ages, a very diffe- 

 rent rate might be found. It will be seen that Mr Becher was fuUy aware 

 of this, for to the question, " Do you conceive that the average quantity 

 of sickness, at different ages, increases as the value of life diminishes ?" he an- 



