LIFE INSURANCE FOR FISHERMEN. 119 



question of how best a fisherman can insure himself against 

 sickness, accident, and death, is one about the answering 

 of which there cannot be, or ought not to be, two opinions. 

 It is a question which has long ago been answered in 

 the most unequivocal, because practical, manner, by such 

 Friendly Societies as the Ancient Order of Foresters, and 

 the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows Societies which, 

 as I have already said, are in the best and truest sense of 

 the words, Orders of Providence and Benevolence. Were 

 it not a matter beyond all doubt, it would be difficult to 

 believe that these noble Orders insure all classes of the 

 labouring population upon precisely the same terms. A 

 fisherman or a coal-miner pays no more than any other 

 labouring man, and he is entitled to receive, and does 

 receive, exactly the same benefits. For very small sums 

 of money, varying from sixpence to ninepence per week, 

 fishermen can insure for themselves and their families the 

 following benefits : in case of sickness or accident, 12s. per 

 week for six months, and 6s. per week for a further six 

 months, with the best medical and surgical attendance 

 free ; the sum of 10 for the burial of the wife, and the 

 sum of 12 at the death of the fisherman himself. This 

 latter sum is paid, even if the insurer be lost at sea, and his 

 body be not recovered. On almost equally liberal terms 

 fishermen can also insure themselves against accident to 

 limb and life ; and, inasmuch as no labouring man is better 

 able to pay the necessary premiums than is a fisherman, 

 there is little or no excuse for his not so insuring for the 

 benefit of himself and his wife and family. And that very 

 large numbers of fishermen do avail themselves of the 

 advantages thus offered them, is proved by the fact that 

 fishermen form a very large percentage of the members of 

 the Friendly Societies which are established round our 



