The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-12-28 00:00:00

A CORRECTION.

To the Editor of the " Times."

SIR,---In the speech of Mr. Walter, M.P., de-
livered at a Banquet of the Reading Foresters
on Thursday last, and reported in the Times of
the 7th instant, he stated in his remarks in con-
nection with the Order, that during the six years
from 1865 to 1870 inclusive, the society had ex-
pended £66,445 in excess of its receipts. Now
as this assertion is totally incorrect, and likely
to prejudice the public in their opinion of the
' Ancient Order of Foresters, I trust you will
allow me, through the pages of your paper to
show that Mr. Walter has wrongly calculated the
figures from the " Summary" he quotes. The
items are printed as follows: The total receipts
of the Sick and Funeral Funds, for the six years
ending December 31st, 1870, amounted to
£2,269,223 and the total payments to £1,750,204,
shewing a surplus or gain of £519,019, instead
of a loss of £66,445, as stated by Mr. Walter.
In addition to the above figures are also given
in the "Summary," but cut off by a rule from
the Sick and Funeral Funds Income and Expen-
diture, other payments from other funds for the
said six years as follows :—Medical attendance
upon the members, £211,618; Court Manage-
ment Expenses, £282,543; Distaict Management
Expenses, £28.521 ; and for the Relief of
Widows and Orphans, £61,782; amounting in
the aggregate to £584.464, which sum Mr. Wal-
ter has improperly added to the Sick and Fune-
ral Fund Payments of £1,750'204, and thus led
to the oils-statement in his speech, the item of
£584,464 being over and above wet by additional
contributions of the members paid into sepal ate
funds, and was not taken out of the Sick and
Funeral Funds as implied in the remarks of Mr.
Walter. In proof of the various funds being
kept distinct from the Sick and Funeral Funds
made imperative under the Laws of the Order)
the worth of the different funds taken from the
same " Summary" referred to by Mr. Walter,
were as follows on Decombe 31st, 1870 :—Court
Sick and Funeral Funds, £1,166,877 ; District
Funeral Funds, £129,566; Court Management
Funds, £48,867; District Management Funds,
£8,404; and Widow and Orphans' Funds,
£58,168.
In justice to the Society I trust you will give
this correction of a mis-statesnent an early inser-
tion in the Times, and oblige,
Yours respectfully,
SAMUEL sHAWCROSS,
Secretary of the Order.
Cardiff, December 7th, 1872.

The following is a copy of a lette referring to
the same subject, from F. G. P. Nelson, Esq.,
F.S.S., inserted in the Times of Friday, Decem-
ber. 18th:—

To the Editor of the " Times."

Siu,—Mr. Walter's strictures at Reading on
such a largeand important organization as the
Ancient Order of Foresters should not be allowed
to pass unnoticed.
He takes them to task severely for their man-
agement expenses. Now, the amount given
under this head notoriously exhibits more than
the actual cost, as it includes items such as
should properly come under the designation of
a benevolent fund. But for argument sake, as-
sume that the whole amount shown was spent in
management, then it averages under 4s per an-
num per member. This, I maintain, is not ex-
cessive. In ,fact, the affiliated Orders may be
rather said to be economically managed. It is
hardly a week, in exactly the same town, since
Mr. Walter is reported in your paper as speaking
so well of certain county friendly societies. I
would but refer him to the fact that the ratio of
management expenses, in one at any rate, is on
the same scale as lie now designates in the For-
esters such a great blot.
However, practically it would not affect the
benefits of the Order if the amount expended in
management was double, or even treble, as pro-
perly this fund is kept totally distinct from the
sick and funeral fund, and these can never en-
croach on the moneys that should properly be
accumulating to provide the sick and death bene-
fits.
Than, again, as to another statement of Mr.
Walter, that the payment for the last six years
had considerably exceeded the receipts. Hap-
pily, it is just the contrary, and I cannot com-
prehend how he could have fallen into this error,
as on the same page it is clearly shown that the
accumulated funds of the Order during that
period had increased by about £500,000. If he
peruses the table carefully, he will perceive that
the income in respect of only the Sick end Fun-
eral Fund is displayed, whereas against this he
has placed expenditure in respect of no less than
five other funds, ignoring altogether their con-
siderable income.
Taking, apparently, as the basis of him state-
ment the funds in hand, Mr. Walter alludes to
what, in his opinion, is the most solvent friendly
society lathe kingdom. Surely Its cannot mt.