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Amongst other methods, two recommendations of the Select 
Committee before-named deserve prominence. One is to insist 
upon friendly societies making the subscription of their members 
equal, from an actuarial point of view, to the amounts they are 
entitled to claim. I would add that benefits should never 
altogether lapse through inability to continue subscriptions. 
These subscriptions ought, like life insurance policies, to have 
cumulative value. The custom of depending upon non-payments, 
and subsequent loss of benefits to defaulting members, is utterly 
indefensible, and brings about an aggravation of calamity in 
cases oi sudden and unavoidable poverty. The other is the 
recommendation that all persons hereafter appointed to offices in 
the service of the Crown should contribute to their own pensions 
by means of a reduction from their salaries or pay. This 
suggestion might with benefit be taken into serious consideration 
by Town Councils, Poor Law Boards, and other public bodies. 
An extension of the system now in vogue amongst many large 
public and private companies—insurance against sickness and 
accidents—encouraged by contributions from the directorate or 
firm, would do an immense service, and tend to renew the 
feeling of respect now all but oblitered in the race for dividends. 
Further, there is no reason why Governments should not largely 
extend their deferred annuities department. In New Zealand, 
according to Sir Charles Dilke, the authorities are not too 
dignified to advertise, and their favourite quotation, from the 
Economist, is to the effect that the greatest of undeveloped 
economic forces is the principle of insurance backed by the State 
guarantee, that is, of insurance that really insures. Our munici- 
pal and other local authorities ought also to unbend and to freely 
receive, at a rate of interest which would cover the extra clerkship 
required, small investments of £10 or £20 and upwards. Is 
there any valid reason why they should not be allowed to issue 
deferred annuities under proper regulations? Many timid 
people who hesitate to place their savings with building or 
co-operative societies, would gladly avail themselves of one or 
other of these methods. I could give numerous instances from 
personal knowledge of home hoardings, and Silas Marner has, in 
that respect, many modern counterparts in the Lancashire 
cotton districts. 
I have reached the close of my inquiry. To many of you the 
smallness of the reforms advocated, and the difficulties that 
everywhere presented themselves when we attempted to take 
pauperism by storm, will have been extremely disappointing. Is 
there then, after all, no “‘ Morrison’s pill for curing the maladies 
of society ’’—no trustworthy specific? Fortunately, no. The 
best energies of the coming generation will have full scope in 
evolving new methods and in strengthening those at present in 
operation for the amelioration of human conditions. In the 
