The Staffordshire and Potteries Examiner. — 1880-07-31 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

IMPORTANT TO FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.  Al the Westminster Police Court, London, William Broomfield, secretary to the London Central Meat, Poultry, and Provision Market Benefit Society, Kingeliuid ; E. Payne, secretary of the Friendly Society of Mutual Brothers, Bethnal Green; Charles Iseriman, secretary to the German Provident Friendly Society, Christian Street, St. George's-in-the-East; C. Martin, secretary to the Friend-in-Need, Birmingham, Benefit Society, Rephidin Street, Great ['Dover Street, &E.; W. F. Chirton, secretary of the Total Abstinence Friendly Society, Lecture Hall, Cross Street, Islington; J. Harris, secretary of the I Court Rose of Normandy, A.0.F., Harrow Road, Paddington; and Oliver Thomas Bull, secretary of the Independent Friendly Brothers, Birmingham, Benefit Society, Stepney Green, have appeared to adjourned summonses at the instance of Mr. Ilemry Tompkins, on behalf of Mr. J, ohn Maim:din Ludlow, Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, for 'leaving failed to send in an annual return of their receipts and expenditure, funds and effects of these societies as audited, prior to June 1 in this year. No legal gentlemen were engaged. The cases were called on last week, when technical objections were taken by some, and the eases adjourned ; but Charles Kelley, secretary of the True Briton Benefit Society of Gentleman's Servants, John Street, Berkeley Square ; J. Dickens, secretary of the Court Pride of Ealing (1,907) Ancient Order of Foresters,HighStreet,Ealing ;andll.C. Stan. brook, secretary of the Court St. Mary (2,313) Ancient Order of Foresters, King's Head, Upper Tooting, consented to pay 105. penalty and costs, others were withdrawn, and now Messrs. Harris and Clinton offered full explanations, and the summonses against them were withdrawn The proceedings were taken under the 38 and 39 Vic., cap. al, sea.. 14, clause " d " (1375,', 174ich enacted that once in every year an accoard of the funds and expenditure Of every society, with the audit thereon, should be sent to the Registrar-General of Friendly Societies, in Abingdon Street, Westminster, and failing that, a penalty of the minimum sum of 255. should be incurred, but that could be reduced wader the power: of the Summary Jurisdiction Act. Tlm. next clause, also, enacts that quinquennial returns should be made, certified by evidence of stability to the satisfaction of the registrar, in which case he would e tuse the assets and liabilities of the societies to be reported on by some actuary, &c. ; it also, among other things, enacts that the books of the societies should be al, lowed for inspection to those interested.—Mr. Tompkins explained that these proceedings were only taken to teach the defendants and others that they must conform to the law. Thero were 26,000 registered socicties in England, and it was essentially necessary that the returns should be sent in. No notice was necessary, and the secretaries could come to the office, obtain a form and all pa:Heiden and information, and although the form appeared long and intricate, it really was very simple, and some secretarys, who were only working men, had sent in, he might say, very elaborate returns. Therefore, there could be no excuse for others, and he hoped ilkit publicity would avoid any further proceedinM—Mr. Broomfield said that the society which he represented had only 24 members, and the 1,41,1 had been set in motion by e former secretary, who had suffered 12 months' imprisonment for felony, and since Leon expelled the society: As for himself, he pleaded ignorance of the law.—Mr. D'Eyncourt hoped that a penalty would teach him to be more careful in the future, and fined him 105. and costs.— Others of the defendants pleaded ignorance also, and i,nsidered that they ought to be better informed by I the registrar.—ln the end, Payne, Iseriman, Martin, I and Oliver were each fined ss. and costs  It has been reported at St. Petersburg that the Turcomans had captured and murdered General Skobelieff.  It i;-i;tended. to raise the effective of the Greek infantry regiments to four companies of 258 mett each, which would make 28,981. A letter from Philipopolis states that raiissaries from Sofia are traversing Macedonia in all directions proclaiming to the Bulgarian peasants that the Empire of Alexander the Great is to be stored  gu, 'timber Fleet is a month t, erdue at nock, and although tugs have been sent out 10Umiles,n, trace of it has been discovered. The delay is attributed to the calm weather.  The Queen has appointed Lieutenant-Colonel R. W. B. Hunt, Royal Marines, to be Aide-de-Camp to her Majesty, in the vacancy caused by the promotion of Colonel H. W. Gwyn, Royal Marine Light