126 Mr W. Fraser oit the History/ and Constitution of' 



surely well entitled to be ranked among the most beneficial in- 

 stitutions of the country, and deservedly to claim the attention 

 both of philanthropists and statesmen. 



It will scarcely be credited, however, that of late years much 

 hostility has been shewn to Friendly Societies, and by none 

 more strongly than by the patrons of Savings Banks. These 

 latter institutions are certainly well calculated for many useful 

 purposes ; but it must still be evident that they can bear no com- 

 parison with the former, or supersede the use of them. On this 

 subject it has been justly remarked by a late writer, " Will the 

 advocates for Savings Banks be easily persuaded to save their 

 annual premiums, instead of insuring their houses against fire ? 

 Certainly not ; yet they recommend the mechanic to place his 

 money in the bank, to provide against sickness and old age, 

 whilst they know that sickness, like fire, though somewhat 

 slower in its operations, may in a short time exhaust the savings 

 of fifty years, and like fire, too, may come suddenly before the 

 ^rst year expires. The best friends of the working classes will 

 always entreat them to provide against the manifold wants of 

 sickness and old age, by means of respectable and well conducted 

 Benefit Societies, the payments to which ought to form a part of 

 their current and positive expences. To those who have any 

 thing to spare after this, a savings bank may be useful ; the 

 necessities of sickness and old age being first secured by these 

 societies, the mechanic and labourer, through the medium of the 

 bank, may add to their comfort ; but no individual either be- 

 friends his neighbour or his country, by enjoining a reliance upon 

 individual savings, as a security against casualties which may 

 overtake a man in an hour, and in a few months sweep 

 away the savings of a whole life.*" In short, the best and in- 

 deed the only safe way of providing against any contingency is 

 by uniting with others ; and hence institutions, such as Friendly 

 Societies, when properly conducted, can alone afford the means 

 of providing for the vicissitudes of infirmity and disease^ at 

 the same time that they, in conjunction with Savings Banks, en- 



■ " Considerations on the necessity of appointing a Board of Commissioners 

 for the Encouragement and Protection of Friendly Societies." London, 1824. 



