870 



REroRT — 1884. 



have reported in favour of llie more general establishment of deposit friendly 

 eocieties. They were led to this by certain defects of the more common system. 

 One of the chief of these relates to lapses, by whicli a member wlio tliiis withdraws 

 forfeits the whole balaiico of his previous contributions as well as future tenetits. 

 The percentage of membiu's lapsing varies between 3 and oO per cent, of tlie total 

 number. In one society, however, which has a deposit as well as a tienetit branch, 

 the percentage of secessions in the former is only half I liat in tiie latter ; yet were it 

 otherwise the loss to those withdrawing would be comparatively sligiit, as the eliief 

 part of their deposit balance would be recoverable. Some steps in the direction of 

 maliing allowance for paid ])remiiims will have to be made sooner or l.tter to |,'ive 

 this form of thrift fair play, and tliose societies will be the wisest which do not 

 hesitate to hicrease their contributions with the view of doing full justice to tliuir 

 members. 



The average duration of side pay in deposit and friendly soi.'ieties also presents 

 a marked contrast. In the society on the dual basis already alliHl(>d tu, the average 

 sickness in the deposit branch, which admits female and even unhealtliy members, 

 was less than one-half of that at the benefit branch, which is confined more ex- 

 clusively to healthy members. Tliis, -which tallies witli more general exijeriencc, 

 shows that the deposit system practically^ discoui'ages malingering, and so protects 

 a man against the unscrupulous action of others in this respect. 



It does not, however, protect him against himself Members have ()cca^^ioIlally 

 exhausted their deposits, and consequently been unable to claim sick pay when 

 they have required it, while tlie fact that a large number withdraw even from 

 deposit societies proves that a man's fund in them is insecure against himself. 



Tins, though a comparatively slight evil, makes one hesitate to press t!ie general 

 establishment of deposit societies, and to some extent accounts for tlie slow progress 

 they have hitherto made. Other causes also have contributed to this result, among 

 which may be noted the necessary complication of the rules, the absence of the social 

 element in most of those at present existing, and the slight interest which the 

 members have been led 1 o take in their management. 



It seems" therefore desirable that instead of establishing new deposit clubs in 

 competition with existing benefit societies, endeavours should be made to induce 

 the latter to adopt the dual basis, if propisr safeguards can be provided, and to learn 

 from experience the respective merits of the two systems. 



! 



I I 



b. The Commercial Melatloiis of Canada with Spain aiul hrr Colonies. 

 By Dox AuTui;o de MAitcoAiriu. 



The following statement of the imports and exports between tlie i')oniiiiiou 

 with Spain and her colonies in America (Cuba and Porto llico) and in the Pacitie 

 Ocean (Philippine Islands) shows the increase of this international trade in spite 

 of vei'y heavy tarifl's on both sides — 



IMPOUTS OK THE DOMINION OP CANADA lUOAI TlIK FOLLOWING COUNTRIE.S. 



