826 REPOET— 1892. 



grow as misfortunes thicken, the daily evidence that 'muddling on' often does 

 not in fact lead to any decisive or irretrievable catastrophe — all these contribute to 

 encourage a 'happy-go-lucky ' existence, and to fortify the belief that without any 

 special etlbrt life maj^ not improbably be lived without great distress, and in due 

 time brought to a fairly satisfactory- end. With these fatalistic views and ideas, 

 can we wonder that there is so little thought of the morrow ? It is to be feared 

 that such a scheme as Mr. Chamberlain's, notwithstanding the manifest advantages 

 which it offers, would not be widely adopted except by the comparatively small 

 number of prudent people who are already prepared to make the effort necessary 

 to secure a provision for their old age. 



Many other schemes of more or less importance and interest have been put 

 forward. Some are ingenious ; some appear to contemplate the problem from one 

 point of view only ; others are, I had almost said, fantastic. An able and useful 

 work by Mr. J. A. Spender, published in February last, and entitled ' The State 

 and Pensions in Old Age,' with a preface by Mr. Arthur Acland, M.P., discusses 

 the merits of the more important proposals which had then been made, and 

 contains much valuable information. 



Among the contributions to the literature of the subject should be mentioned a 

 pamphlet by the Rev. T. AV. Fowle, rector of Islip, with tlie title 'The Poor 

 Law, the Friendly Societies, and Old-age Destitution : a proposed Solution.' 

 Mr. Fowle advocates the gradual extinction of outdoor relief within a period not 

 exceeding twenty-five years, and the allocation to the friendly societies of the sum 

 thus saved, which he reckons, including cost of management, at 3,000,000/. per 

 annum, on condition that they should in return guarantee a sufficient maintenance 

 to all their members permanently disabled by sickness or old age. He further 

 proposes that, in consideration of this subsidy, the societies should be required to be, 

 or to become, efficient, and to subject their tables, investments, and rules to the 

 sanction of a Government authority. I do not think the societies would consent to 

 this arrangement. It would doubtless have the eventual effect of putting them all 

 on a solvent basis, except those whose financial position is clearly hopeless, and 

 whose extinction might be contemplated, as Mr. Fowle contends, with equanimity. 

 But such an interference with the affairs of the societies generally would be 

 resented, and their opposition to it, and to any general scheme of pensions which 

 would affect their position and objects, could hardly be considered unnatural or 

 altogether selfish, composed as they are in the main of the flower of the working- 

 classes, keenly alive to the advantages of their independence, and to the evils 

 which any infringement of it might entail. 



A striking instance of the feeling in tliis matter is afforded by the speech of the 

 Grand Master of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows at the annual Congress of 

 Delegates held at Derby in June last. Speaking of old-age pensions, Mr. Bytheway 

 said : — ' For the State to assume that a man in these days was not in a position 

 to earn for himself sufficient to put bv' to keep himself in old age without assist- 

 ance from the State would have a most demoralising effect, and would be impolitic 

 on national grounds, and calculated to destroy that independence of character that 

 had done so much in the past history of our country to raise and elevate the 

 people, and encourage thrift upon the only true basis — industry, self-help, and self- 

 denial, and, therefore, to create a strong self-reliance in its train of good re- 

 sults. If the lazy or drunken were to fare alike with the temperate and 

 industrious, this would not encourage thrift ; and by giving pensions all round it 

 would certainly not be an encouragement to the better members of society, but 

 would act in a contrary direction. The suggestion that the medium for granting 

 State pensions should be tlirough the agency of friendly societies perhaps more 

 immediately concerned them. As they had built up for themselves a position, 

 and accumulated large funds by the exercise of liberty in managing their own 

 affairs, he would not advise running the risk of losing this liberty and selling their 

 own birthright for a mess of pottage, and having the right of self-management 

 curtailed by any intermeddling on the part of the State, which would be sure to 

 follow if State aid were accepted by them in their aggregate capacity as Odd- 

 fellows. Any friendly society accepting such aid would, no doubt, very soon be 



