38

INTRODUCTION.

between  it  and  the  Friendly  Societies  Acts  arises
from  the  circumstance  that  Industrial  and  Provident ­
  Societies  are  incorporated  bodies,  while
Friendly  Societies  have  to  act  through  trustees.
It  was  indeed  one  of  the  recommendations  of  the
Friendly  Societies  Commissioners  “that  the
central  office  should  have  power  to  grant  a  certificate ­
  conferring  incorporation  in  such  cases  as
it  may  deem  it  advisable  ”—  and  the  motive  of
this  recommendation  was  stated  to  be  [Fourth
Report,  Art.  890]  “to  obviate  the  difficulties
which  are  incident  to  the  trustee  system  in  large
societies  ”—but  that  recommendation  was  not
carried  into  effect  by  the  legislature.  A  system
of  optional  incorporation  might  no  doubt  have
given  rise  to  confusion.
73.  The  Industrial  and  Provident  Societies
Act,  1876,  differs  from  the  Friendly  Societies  Act
also  in  not  extending  to  societies  registered  under
it  the  privilege  of  freedom  from  stamp  duty.  In
not  seeking  from  the  legislature  a  renewal  of
this  exemption,  which  Industrial  and  Provident
Societies  had  enjoyed,  in  common  with  Friendly
Societies,  from  the  time  of  their  being  first  certified ­
  under  the  “  frugal  investment  ”  clause  of
the  Friendly  Societies  Act  of  1846  (see  p.  10,
ante),  the  framers  of  the  measure  probably  had
in  view  the  inexpediency  of  claiming  fiscal  privileges ­
  on  behalf  of  societies  like  the  Civil  Service
Supply  Association,  Limited,  which  carries  on  a
business  exceeding  one  million  sterling  per  annum
among  the  wealthier  classes,  or  the  Co-operative
Wholesale  Supply  Association,  Limited,  which