98 
Post- Office Insurance for Labourers. 
or from any source whatever, shall be carried to an account to be 
called "The Management Fund Account," and a percentage, as 
the Postmaster-General, assisted bv an actuary, may judge to be 
safe and necessary, shall be annually charged upon the amounts 
of contributions annually received on account of the several 
branches of insurances. All fines and forfeitures shall be carried 
to the same account. If on valuation " The Management Fund 
Account " shows a surplus properly available as bonus, the same 
shall be applied to members who have chronic illness, and shall 
be thought best entitled to help. 
The Post-Office Friendlv Society should not be placed under 
the supervision of the Registrar of Friendly Societies. 
Against the proposal to establish a Post-Office Friendly Society 
several objections have been urged, which will now be considered. 
In approaching them I express the wish that the fair treatment 
shown by the representative of the Foresters, at the Conference 
of the Friendly Societies Association held last year in London, 
under the presidency of the Earl Nelson, when the plan was 
discussed, might be observed bv objectors whose scruples are 
grounded on a fear of Government intrusion into the field of 
insurance. " If any gentleman," said Mr. Pinchbeck, " proposed 
to open an opposition shop, the Foresters have no objection." 
We believe that so far from causing injury to Societies whose 
business is properly done, the increased attention to insurance 
which the establishment of this plan would draw from the public 
would benefit such Societies greatly. Such is the feeling with 
which the Managers of the County of Kent Friendly Society, who 
first brought the proposal forward, regard the assistance which 
the Legislature would thus give, if the system were established 
and properly worked. The objections of the managers of un- 
sound, or of worse than unsound Societies, or of insurance com- 
panies which compete keenly for sums of even small amount, and 
who view with disfavour Government and Friendly Societies 
alike when they undertake life insurances — though they are 
welcome to all the annuities — will not be allowed to cajry much 
weight. They do, however, supplv persons who are endeavouring 
to carry out a reform in the means of insurance among the 
labouring classes, .with a reason for pressing vigorously on the 
establishment of a system which, while it would help to break 
up the bad, would encourage good and trustworthy provident 
institutions. 
The Kentish deputation to the Postmaster-General, in 1867, 
were given to understand that steps would be taken for the re- 
duction of Life Insurance from 20/. to 5/., and for the establish- 
ment of Endowment Insurance, and that the sickness-pay should 
receive careful consideration. Nothing whatever has been done 
