BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

54
Anticipating the rise in popular support and augmented by a
proliferation of League-related newspapers which helped to maintain and
cement its growing influence, the functions of the Central Office grew
rapidly during this period.
An examination will follow of some of
these key features that characterized the organizational development of
the League from infancy to young maturity.
As the League prospered, its income, derived primarily from
annual Tributes, entrance, Warrant, and badge fees, subscriptions
obtained from The Primrose League Gazette, donations obtained from the
LGC, and interest received from the Capital Account, became sub­
stantial.
By 31 March 1888 receipts for the 1887-88 "Primrose year,"
were a generous £6,464.16.2.
Nevertheless, this figure represented a
relative decline when compared with the earnings obtained in 1886-87,
£10,133.9.8. The latter figure constituted the highest annual income
received at the Central Office during the years under study.
In large
measure the decrease incurred in 1887-88 was attributable to smaller
receipts obtained from three key sources of income, specifically,
entrance and Warrant fees and Life Tributes.
Together they accounted
for £4,739.10.5 in 1886-87 as against £1,226.8.0 in 1887-88. Despite
the failure to maintain the record level achieved in 1886-87, the
Capital Account continued to rise, if more slowly than the previous
year, reaching ten thousand pounds by the end of March, 1888.5
In response to heightened levels of activity, the Grand Council
began meeting in January, 1885 on a quarterly basis, relegating day-to­
5
The Primrose League Gazette, 21 April 1888, p. 4.