58 
with regard to pauperism, in order to directly discuss the claims 
of Compulsory National Insurance as a remedy for it, we find 
two distinct methods—advoecated or in vogue. One is the pay- 
ment before the age of twenty-one years of the whole sum 
required in order to insure throughout life, and the other the 
German system—weekly and continuous subscriptions. 
A distinct improvement upon the German practice is already 
at work throughout the Lancashire cotton manufacturing 
districts, but in two sections. The Weavers’ trades union not 
only offers provision for burials, but also provides a substantial 
weekly payment in cases of mill stoppages through fires, failures, 
breakdowns or removals of machinery, ranging from 3s. to 9s. to 
each subscriber. The magnitude of the task thus voluntarily 
undertaken will be seen on referring to Appendix Table 5. 
During the past 12 months this single association has discharged 
obligations to members temporarily out of work equal to 24 per 
cent. of the cost of in-maintenance and out-relief combined. 
The total payments by the whole of the trades equalled 44 per 
cent. of the direct charges in connection with pauperism, and 
this average will obtain throughout the manufacturing portion 
of Lancashire. I am inclined to think that nothing but the very 
natural fear, on the part of trade unionist leaders, of malingering 
by members prevents the addition of a scheme of sick pay. 
Sick pay is taken in hand by numerous friendly societies, whose 
ageregate returns to members or their families equalled, during 
the past year, 62 per cent. of the total Poor Law relief. Taken 
together, sick pay and trades payments equalled £106 to every 
£109 paid by the Guardians. Unfortunately, superannuation 
funds are practically inoperative in both England and Germany. 
If some financially safe and popular scheme of old-age annuities 
could be put in force by our trades associations or friendly 
societies (who unfortunately refuse to grant sick pay to all who 
have attained the age of 65 years), the battle against easily 
preventable pauperism—all the pauperism that compulsory 
insurance could reach—would be well-nigh won. This accom- 
plished, the 29°8 per cent. of our paupers who would by 
compulsory insurance be relieved from old-age poverty and the 
2°5 per cent.—the temporally disabled—who would be immedi- 
ately provided for by such involuntary insurance, would soon be 
further and sensibly diminished. 
With these facts before me, I strongly agree with the finding 
of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, appointed in 
1885 to consider the question of Compulsory Insurance, and 
think, to use the words of their report, that ‘‘ anything which 
tended to undermine the self-taught habits of thrift and self-help 
which prevail among the working classes to a considerable 
extent, or to lead the wage-earners of this country to rely for 
