88 
Post- Office Insurance for Labourers. 
contribution Is. 3c/., or 15s. a year. If he insures for 6s. at 65, 
the monthly contribution 2s, 3d., or 27s. a year. 
Example : C. D., aged 35, insures for 4s. a week, to com- 
mence on his reaching the age of 65. The monthly contribution 
is 2s. \d., or 25s. a year. If he prefers to take his chance as 'a 
workman till he reaches 70 years of age, and then to commence 
his old-age-pay, when his sickness-pay will cease, he will have 
to pay for the same Is. \d. a month, or 13s. a year. 
It may be remarked that as sickness-pay is taken in the fore- 
going to end on the members attaining 70 years of age, we have 
then a convenient time lor the annuity to commence. A labourer 
35 years old, or near that age, has, if prudent and diligent, 
commonly the means to increase his insurance. His little ones 
have by that time begun to be less of a strain on his means ; and 
once let him fully appreciate the advantages of thrift, and the 
disadvantages of becoming a pauper, the provision of old-age- 
pay will become to him a matter of great importance. For 
16s. 3rf. a year he would be able to claim bs. a week for life 
on reaching 70 ; for 19s. 6c/. a year, 6s. ; and there are numbers of 
such men who will find the money, once give them the means 
of investing it for their provision, and the necessary schooling 
from a better administration of the Poor Law. 
Any able-bodied labourer of ordinary industry and skill, and 
in good health, living in a district in which wages average from 
2s. dd. to 2s. 6d. a day, would be able to secure by joining at, or 
under 
£. s. d. 
25 years of ajje, 12s. a week in sickness till 70 years 
old, and lOZ. at death for 14 0a year. 
And, at 35 years of age, 5s. a week for life on reaching 
the expiration of his sickness-pay insurance, 
viz., 70, for 0 16 3 a year. 
Total cost per annum 2 0 3 
There can be no question about the ability of labourers in 
such localities to pay from 21. to 3/. a year, because tjiey are 
already paying as much into their clubs. And in localities in 
which wages are low, and wherever labourers are in the habit of 
joining Benefit Societies, we shall find that they will be able 
to secure a higher amount of sickness-pay and burial-money than 
that which they are at present able to get, together with an 
annuity, which, though small indeed, and not what we could wish 
it to be, is better in every sense than letting these poor people 
drag a scanty maintenance out of the poor-rate. But supposing 
for the moment that they couUl not save, the existence of their 
misfortunes should not be allowed to debar the mass of labourers 
who are better paid from having the power given them of 
