Friendly Societies, State Action, and the Poor-law. 181 
a member of a society which failed to fulfil the conditions 
required by law, or which was so framed and managed as to 
pauperise its members. 
On the mere ground that the information would be serviceable 
to the Guardians, but not forgetting its far greater service to 
the poor, I desire again to draw attention to my suggestion, 
which elicited the approval of four of the Commissioners, 
namely. Sir M. Hicks Beach, Mr. Bircham, Mr. Patteson, and 
the lamented Mr. Evan M. Richards, " that there should be a 
local publication of societies, distinguishing good from bad." 
" We are not unmindful," say these gentlemen, " that there 
may be border cases, and difficulty in drawing the line between 
those societies which may or may not be entitled to the better- 
class certificate. But it is the very end of all the additional 
care which is recommended that the line should be drawn and 
the distinction established by some one ; and if it be difficult 
for the Registrar, with all his means of knowledge and dis- 
crimination, to do it, we apprehend that the task will be, as 
heretofore impossible, for the poor and ignorant, and that we 
shall continue to have a large majority of our societies, although 
there may be vast numbers constantly joining them, insolvent 
and unequal to their engagements. Whereas there might be in 
the simple tangible fact of a discriminating certificate something 
which the poorest and most ignorant could appreciate, some- 
thing which might point them to the good and guide them 
from the bad We are aware that objection to this course 
will be more or less widely entertained, on the ground that in 
adopting it the State would incur undue responsibilities." 
After answering this objection, which the Commission generally 
appear to have been much more concerned about than they 
need, for there is very little in it beyond supposition, they con- 
tinue. ..." It seems to us that the State will undertake a 
far greater responsibility if it shrink from the simplest mode of 
informing the public what in its opinion are good and trust- 
worthy societies. Even the educated public are, and are likely 
to continue, far too ignorant of these matters to justify an 
opinion that the mere publication, without criticism, of tables, 
accounts and reports will, for practical purposes, show the 
difference between the good societies and the bad. We are 
therefore opposed to stamping good and bad with the same 
registration mark, and are clearly of opinion that the open 
discrimination which we suggest may be undertaken with risk 
and with great public usefulness, especially if when publishing 
in the respective local districts" such particulars founded on the 
returns and valuations of societies as they may deem fit, " the 
Registrars with every available frequency set forth that : — 
