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MODEL  BRANCH  RULES.

3.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  committee  of  management
to  provide  the  secretary  with  a  sufficient  number  of  copies
of  the  annual  return,  or  of  some  balance  sheet  or  other
document  duly  audited,  containing  the  same  particulars  as
to  the  receipts  and  expenditure,  funds  and  effects  of  the
branch,  for  supplying  gratuitously  every  member  or  person
interested  in  the  funds  of  the  branch,  on  his  application,
with  a  copy  of  the  last  annual  return,  or  of  such  balance
sheet  or  other  document  as  aforesaid  for  the  time  being,
and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  secretary  to  supply  such
gratuitous  copies  on  application  accordingly.
XIV.—Investment  of  Funds,  Holding  of  Land,  &c.
1.  So  much  of  the  funds  of  the  branch  as  may  not  be
wanted  for  immediate  use,  or  to  meet  the  usual  accruing
liabilities,  shall,  with  the  consent  of  the  committee  of
management,  or  of  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the  branch
present  and  entitled  to  vote  at  a  general  meeting,  be
invested  by  the  trustees  in  such  of  the  following  ways  as
such  committee  or  general  meeting  shall  direct  :  namely,
in  any  savings  bank  certified  under  the  Act  of  1863,  or
Post  Office  Savings  Bank,  in  the  public  funds,  or  with
the  Commissioners  for  the  Reduction  of  the  National  Debt,
or  upon  government  or  real  securities  in  Great  Britain  or
Ireland,  (a)

or  in  the  purchase  of  land,  or  in  the  erection  or  alteration
of  offices  or  other  buildings  thereon  as  after  mentioned.—
Friendly  Societies  Act,  1875,  s.  16  (1).
2.  The  committee  of  management,  with  the  consent  of  a
special  meeting  of  the  branch  called  for  the  purpose,  may
purchase  or  take  on  lease  in  the  names  of  the  trustees  any
land  in  the  county  where  the  branch  is  established  (b),  anil
may  sell,  exchange,  mortgage,  lease  or  build  upon  the  same
(with  power  to  alter  and  pull  down  buildings  and  again
rebuild),  and  no  purchaser,  assignee,  mortgagee,  or  tenant
shall  be  bound  to  enquire  as  to  the  authority  for  any  sale,
exchange,  mortgage,  or  lease  by  the  trustees,  and  the

[(a)  Any  other  securities  upon  which  it  is  proposed  the  funds
should  he  invested  should  here  be  specified.]
(Jj)  If  the  extent  or  value  of  the  land  is  to  he  limited  add  here
“  not  exceeding  acres”  (stating  quantity)  or  “  not  exceeding ­
  in  value  l.”  (stating  value.)