§ MR. CLOUGHI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Registrar-General of Friendly Societies is aware that the Royal London Friendly Society is about to take a poll upon the question of its conversion into a mutual insurance company on 10th April, 1908; whether he is aware that the effect of the conversion of the Britannic Friendly Society and the Wesleyan Refuge General Friendly Society has been to depreciate the value of the collectors' books from twenty-five times to five times, and to nil, respectively: and what steps, if any, the Registrar-General is taking to prevent similar depreciation befalling the collectors' books of the Royal London Friendly Society in the event of its becoming converted into a mutual insurance company.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. RUNCIMAN,) DewsburyThe Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies informs me that he is not aware that the Royal London Friendly 1218 Society is about to take the steps mentioned in the first part of the Question. His jurisdiction does not arise until a meeting has been hold and resolutions have been properly passed at such meeting and transmitted to him for registry under the Friendly Societies Act. With regard to the latter part of the Question, the Chief Registrar has no knowledge whatever. He has nothing to do with collectors' books or their value.