102 Post- Office Insurance for Labourers. 
with other districts, for which purpose the members would raise 
the necessary expenses. 
I have elsewhere pointed out that, with this system of 
insurance, and with trustworthy Societies, there could be no 
hesitation on the part of local trustees of charitable funds in 
assisting members at times of unusual pressure in payings their 
monthly contributions. The difficulty of dispensing charity in 
such a manner as not to discourage thrift would thus be obviated. 
Such is the state of existing Benefit Societies that I do not.- 
suppose any trustee could venture to help a man, although, from 
the pressure of illness, or the number of little ones in his family 
too young to earn anything towards their maintenance, such 
assistance would be extremely well bestowed if only his club 
were trustworthy. I am painfully reminded of the want of some 
such means of applying parish charities, which are yearly dis- 
tributed at Christmas in my parish, and to the thorough dissatis- 
faction both of trustees and recipients. It would be a great 
assistance to a few deserving men in the parish to give them 5s. 
each towards their club payments ; but the clubs are unsafe, and 
the money goes to some persons whose earnings, take one year 
with another, are as large as the livings of many of the " moun- 
tain " clergy in England, or their brethren in the Principality. 
The recipients will all of them, I fear, sooner or later, be paupers, 
if they are not already. 
while the Post-OflSce Friendly Society would give to the 
country one provident institution which the Guardians of the 
poor would admit as favourable to the claims of a member 
belonging to it, it would also attract to itself the influences 
which are too often kindly but injudiciously given by the 
clergy, the gentry, and others in behalf of unsafe and pauperising 
clubs. Many steady young men would, by their influence, join 
it, and their example would tell on their companions. Those 
persons whose infirmities debarred their joining it, are among 
the class for whom the Poor Law is, and always will be, required 
in this country. And persons whose age may prevent their 
joining will be better off" than they are at present in respect of 
Benefit Societies, many of which, with the example and influ- 
ence of a district Post-Office branch among them, would be 
improved both in constitution and management. The mem- 
bers of these Societies would then experience the benefits of 
being in institutions which possessed genuine claims to trust- 
worthiness and providence, and thus their own comfort and 
well-doing would be promoted. 
The method \>y which these advantages may be placed within 
reach of many labourers who are at present within the verge of 
poor-relief has, with many imperfections and shortcomings 
