Post-Office Insurance for Labourers. 
87 
not be desirable to exclude men of 35 years from the benefit of 
sickness-pav. 
II. Annuities. — In the next place the means of securing an 
" Annuity should be placed within the reach of labourers. It may 
at first sight appear a miserable pittance for the poor to say that 
an annuity of 10/. or 12/., commencing at 65 or 70, according to 
choice, is giving him independence in his old age. But 44'. 
or 5*. a week will compare favourably with outdoor relief, and 
outdoor relief .will not be so easily stopped as may be desired. 
Many a man is hale and heartv till far beyond 70 years of 
age, and worth his Is. a day at his work. It would conduce to 
such a man's health and longevity if he could take his work 
pretty much as it suited him. Many labourers, with a provision 
of this sort to fall back upon, with money payable at death, 
would be kept altogether from resort to the rate ; and even when 
totally incapacitated from work, relatives who would barely 
have him on the outdoor allowance of 2*. 'od. per week will make 
him pretty comfortable on his annuity. 
Let us next consider what may be done for him to enable 
him, having reference to his means, to secure this benefit. 
The Tables published by the Post- Office, do not, at present, 
offer annuities commencing at 70 years of age ; but I presume 
that no insurmountable difficulty is in the way of such a benefit 
being obtained. 1 shall, therefore, not quote their Tables, but 
subjoin an estimate which might, if necessary, be used. 
A man of 25 may secure 2s. a week at 65 or 70, money not 
returnable at death : — 
Age. 
Monthly Contribution for 65. 
Monthly Contributiou 
S. d. 
S. d. 
25 
0 7 
0 4 
26 
0 7^ 
0 4 
27 
0 8 
0 4 
28 
0 8 
0 4^ 
29 
0 8i 
0 4i 
30 
0 9 
0 5 
31 
0 9^ 
0 5 
32 
0 10^ 
0 5^ 
33 
0 11 
0 5^ 
34 
0 11^ 
0 6 
35 
1' 0^ 
0 6| 
36 
11 
0 7 
37 
12 
0 7 
38 
13 
0 Ik 
39 
14 
0 8 
40 
15 
0 Sh 
45 
2 1 
10 
50 
3 3 
16 
And so in proportion for 4s., 6s., 8s., &c. 
Example : A. B. is 30, and insures for 6s. at 70. The monthly 
