CIRCULAR.

To Persons Interested in Savings Banks, Building Associations, Life Insurance, and other Provident Institutions for the People:

A special Committee of the AMERICAN SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION has been formed since September, 1887, to make inquiry and report concerning Provident Institutions in the United States. It was formed at the instance of Mr. JOHN P. TOWNSEND, of New York, a well-known authority concerning Savings Banks, and an associate of the International Committee, which proposes to hold a conference, at Paris, in 1889, to consider the status and result of such Institutions throughout the world. The American Committee will report, first, to the Social Science Association, in September, 1888, at the annual meeting at Saratoga, and will then continue and complete its report for presentation and preservation at Paris, in July, 1889. With this two-fold object in view, the Secretary of the Special Committee makes the following statements, announcements, and requests:

I. As now organized, the Chairman of this Committee is Hon. W. L. TRENHOLM, of Washington, Comptroller of the Currency, who has placed at the disposal of the members such official information respecting Banks, Loan Funds, etc., as can properly be furnished by him, thus greatly facilitating the work of the Committee. The Secretary of the Committee, Mr. F. B. SANBORN, of Concord, Mass. (General Secretary of the American Social Science Association), has also placed the facilities of his office at the service of the Committee, and invites correspondence from all parts of the United States concerning its work.

II. The work of the Committee has been provisionally assigned as follows:

(1.) Mr. John P. Townsend, 59 Broad Street, New York, will report on Savings Banks in general, and, particularly on those of New York and New Jersey. He invites reports and correspondence on this subject from persons in New England, Pennsylvania, the Southern States, the Western, Northwestern, and Pacific

States; and desires such communication to be sent to him before or during June, 1888.

(2.) Prof. E. J. James, University of Pennsylvania, West Philadelphia, will report on Building Associations (so called), particularly in Pennsylvania, and will receive reports from members of the Committee, and other persons who will investigate this subject in other States, as Mr. G. Bradford, of Boston, has undertaken to do for Massachusetts, Mr. Joseph Wright, of Cincinnati, for Ohio, Prof. H. C. Adams, Ann Arbor, Mich., for Michigan, Prof. J. W. Jenks, Galesburg, Ill., for Illinois, Rev. Oscar C. McCulloch, Indianapolis, for Indiana, and other persons for other States. Such reports should be sent to Prof. James on or before July 1, 1888.

(3.) Mr. Louis Zimmer, 20 Gallatin Place, Brooklyn, N. Y., will report on Life Insurance for the whole country, and will receive such communications as may be sent him on this subject by persons in any part of the country who have information to give, particularly in regard to the results of Life Insurance, as affecting people of moderate means. He will close his report during July,

1888.

(4.) Mr. Joseph D. Weeks, Pittsburg, Pa., will report on Friendly Societies and Benefit Associations, under whatever name, which are organized among large b.dies of men united for special purposes, whether Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Labor, Brotherhoods of Engineers, etc. He invites correspondence from all parts of the country.

(5.) Mr. C. C. Jones, Augusta, Ga., will, if possible, report on Provident Institutions of all kinds, South and Southwest of Washington, and Mr. Robert T. Hill, of Comanche, Texas, (now connected with the Geological Survey, Washington, D. C., which is his address), will report on Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, and such States as Mr. Jones may not reach.

(6.) Rev. H. L. Wayland, Philadelphia, will consider Postal Savings Banks, and will report on Provident Institutions among Hebrews and the Society of Friends.

(7.) Mr. Gamaliel Bradford, Boston, will report on Coöperative Banks in Massachusetts, and on Coöperation in general.

(8.) Messrs. Adams, Jenks, McCulloch, and Wright, above mentioned, will report, respectively, on the Provident Institutions of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

(9.) Mr. F. B. Sanborn, Concord, Mass, will report on the Savings Banks of New England, and will combine the special reports into one general Report. For this purpose, he should receive them on or before August 1, 1888.

III. All persons who may have written or printed information to give on the subject above named, are hereby invited to communicate with the gentlemen above mentioned, on their particular topics, or with the undersigned, upon any matter connected with the general inquiry. Particularly State officials who report on these subjects, are requested to furnish their last printed reports. For the Committee.

F. B. SANBORN,

Special and General Secretary.

CONCORD, MASS., April 14, 1888.

CONSTITUTION, LIST OF PUBLICATIONS, OFFICERS,

MEMBERS, ETC.,

OF THE

AMERICAN SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION.

CONSTITUTION.

I. This Society shall be called the AMERICAN SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIA

TION.

II. Its objects shall be classified in five departments: the first, of Education; the second, of Health; the third, of Trade and Finance; the fourth, of Social Economy; the fifth, of Jurisprudence.

III. It shall be administered by a President, as many honorary Vice-Presidents as may be chosen, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and a Council, charged with general supervision; five Department Committees, established by the Council, charged with the supervision of their respective departments; and such Local Committees as may be established by the Council at different points, to serve as branch associations. The Council shall consist of the President, Treasurer, and Secretary, the Chairman and Secretary of each Department, and ten Directors, with power to fill vacancies and to make their own By-Laws. The President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Chairman, and Secretaries of Departments, and Directors, shall be chosen annually by members of the Association, and shall hold office till their successors are chosen. The President, or in his absence, a Director, shall be Chairman of the Council. The Chairman of the Local Committees shall be chosen at the pleasure of their respective committees. Whenever a Branch Association shall be organized and recognized as such by the Council, its President shall be ex-officio one of the Vice-Presidents of the American Association, and, together with the Secretary and Treasurer, shall be entitled to all the privieges of membership in that Association. And whenever a Local Department shall be organized and recognized as such by the Council, its chairman shall become ex-officio a member of the parent Association. The Chairman and Secretary of each Department, with the consent of the President of the Association, may appoint such special Department Committees as they may think best. The General Secretary shall be elected for three years, unless he resigns, or is removed by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting in a regular meeting of the Council; and out of his compensation he may pay the salary of an Assistant Secretary, who may also be Secretary of one Department.

IV. Any person may become a member by paying five dollars, and may continue a member by paying annually such further sum as may be fixed at the Annual Meeting, not exceeding ten dollars. On payment of one hundred dollars, any person may become a life-member, exempt from assessments. Honorary and corresponding members may be elected, and exempted from the payment of assessments.

V. The Council shall have sole power to call and conduct General Meetings, and to publish the Transactions and other documents of the Association. The Department Committee shall have power to call and conduct Department Meetings.

VI. No amendment of this Constitution shall be made, except at an annual meeting, with public notice of the proposed amendment.

Treasurer, ANSON PHELPS STOKES, 54 Wall St., New York.

DORMAN B. EATON, New York.
CHARLES A. PEABODY,

F. J. KINGSBURY, Waterbury, Conn.
T. W. HIGGINSON, Cambridge.
GEORGE T. ANGELL, Boston.

Directors.

H. L. WAYLAND, Philadelphia.
WASHINGTON GLADDEN, Columbus, Ohio.
F. R. WOODWARD, Spartanburg, S. C.
GEORGE W. CABLE, Northampton, Mass.
JOHN L. MILLIGAN, Allegheny, Pa.

Department Officers.

I. Education.-T. W. HIGGINSON, Cambridge, Chairman; Miss MARIAN TALBOT, 66 Marlborough St., Boston, Secretary.

II.

Health.-H. HOLBROOK CURTIS, M.D., 29 W. 30th St., New York, Chairman; GRACE PECKHAM, M.D., 25 Madison Avenue, New York, Secretary.

III. Finance.-W. L. TRENHOLM, Washington, D. C., Chairman; JOHN P. TOWNSEND, 59 Broad St., New York, Secretary.

IV. Social Economy.-F. B. SANBORN, Concord, Chairman; Prof. E. J. JAMES, Philadelphia, Secretary.

V. Jurisprudence.-Prof. FRANCIS WAYLAND, New Haven, Chairman; Prof. WILLIAM K. TOWNSEND, New Haven, Secretary.

Executive Committee.

CARROLL D. WRIGHT, President; F. B. SANBORN, General Secretary; ANSON PHELPS STOKES, Treasurer; Miss MARIAN TALBOT, Education Secretary; Dr. GRACE PECKHAM, Health Secretary; Prof. FRANCIS WAYLAND, Jurisprudence Chairman; W. L. TRENHOLM, Finance Chairman; Prof. E. J. JAMES, Social Economy Secretary.