CAPITAL AND CO-OPERATION. 339 



There is already the parish council, com- 

 posed, we must assume, of the most trusted 

 men in every parish. Why should not our 

 Government give statutory powers to parish 

 councils to draw upon the post office for small 

 sums, making the parish council committee 

 responsible for repayment ? We should bear 

 in mind that the credit banks in Ireland have 

 advanced a quarter of a million without loss — 

 money advanced on character and not on 

 property as security. 



At the time of writing I learn that a new 

 bill has been framed by the Government 

 which contents itself with paying the expenses 

 of forming, managing, auditing, and inspecting 

 credit societies — not a word, apparently, as 

 to providing the money, which makes the 

 Government bill what Hamlet would be 

 without the Ghost. 



Is the English peasant, we wonder, less 

 honest than the Irish ? If not, why does the 

 Government show this extreme timidity in 

 advancing money to men poor and honest, 

 whilst the wealthy owners of stallions are 

 allocated large sums from the Development 

 Fund ? 



If my plan of advancing money through 



