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at 7/- per quarter, is expected to leave a balance of about £5 in favour of the funds. We don’t wish to tax the members any heavier than we are obliged, nor do we wish to save money at present, although we hope that things will so improve that we may accumulate more than the £3,000 stock for which the rules provide. But I have also a bad list here which will not aid in making us prosper. This year we have only admitted five new members; it should be remembered, however, that societies rarely increase much whilst revision of rules is being made. Then, eleven were lost by deaths, one of whom was a good paying member, Chas. Valentine Levett, and another was one of the pensioners. Fifteen had resigned from various causes, and the exclusions made up a total loss of 54 members. Some of the young men who have resigned did so on the ground that the payments were too high. They have since joined another society in the town, but they will have very little less to pay than in the Old Friendly, after sacrificing their ten years’ membership. Some have gone ab​road​ and some have resigned because they could not have their own way, whilst others have resigned because Mr. North told them two years ago that if they did not make alterations in the rules the society would become bankrupt. With all these exclusions and resignations, I tell you at once – for it is useless to conceal it – if we lose such a number every year, we cannot stand at 7s. a quarterly payment. I hope young members will think better of it, and not be led away by those who have told them “It is sure to fail; you had better join our society”. But from what I can understand, other societies are in no better position than our own. I believe their figures are all based on our own. One society [the Victoria Lodge of Oddfellows, the largest in the Unity] has admitted 100 members during the year, but although it has been established about twenty years, and has only paid out about £400 sick-pay, that society has only increased £33 during the year. I say that no society can go on like that without increasing its payments. Our object has been in the recent alterations to meet the wishes of the majority. There are many in the society who could afford to pay 1s. a week, but there is also a number of others who could not pay more than 6d., and those were the people we wished to bring in. It was the Committee’s object to give the working man as much as possible for 6d. a week; and if we go on increasing in numbers we can do, but if we decrease in the ratio of last year it is impossible. Now, there has been a great deal said and a great deal written about the society, but although I may presently say some things of a personal character, I don’t mean to go into a paper war. If any gentleman feels aggrieved by what I may say, I will give any explanation privately, but I decline, once for all, to go into a paper war. [The reader will probably think this pronouncement -