Farm Labourers, their Friendly Societies, 
the committee becomes slack, the members drop off, and new- 
ones do not present themselves. The opportunity to form a 
public-house club is eagerly turned to account, and the parish 
club ceases to retain its hold on the bulk of the people. This 
is a defect by no means limited to small benefit societies, though 
more commonly found in them than in the large county societies, 
and supplies one reason why old-age pay, or superannuation 
allowance, is so seldom contracted for. A prudent artisan will 
say, "Admitting that your management is trustworthy, and your 
club solvent, who will answer for good management and solvency 
by the time I should be old enough to benefit by it ? " And the 
apprehension is greatly strengthened by the notoriously insecure 
condition of the certified friendly societies, very few, indeed, of 
which (hardly one in a thousand) are admitted to be solvent. 
The managers of the better class of societies are, however, 
beginning to learn the difference between capital and surplus 
capital, but it is still no uncommon case to find that a society 
which has accumulated a few hundreds is considered able to 
divide among its members a considerable portion 6i its capital, 
which is the store from which coming liabilities can alone be 
met. After such a dissipation of the funds, which have been 
possibly increased owing to one or two healthy seasons, there 
comes a down-rush of claims for sickness pay and for burial 
money, and there is nothing to pay. Where the common fate is 
shipwreck, people are afraid to embark their fortunes, and hence 
superannuation allowance is not likely to be popular when 
granted by the friendly society. It will require time and a great 
change in the rural classes before they will seek such provision 
by means of the Post Office. 
We will next take an instance of a friendly society which is 
well known, and which offers great advantages to the industrial 
and labouring classes of Kent. 
The County of Kent Friendly Society was founded in 1828 
by the philanthropic exertions of the Rev. John Hodgson, who 
subsequently founded, and now most ably superintends, the 
excellent institution formed for the benefit of the clergy and 
their families, known as the Clergy Mutual Assurance Society. 
The County of Kent Friendly Society consists of honorary and 
benefit members, and is managed by boards of directors, held 
at certain towns in Kent, the board at Maidstone being the 
principal. The directors comprise persons of all classes from 
the peer to the artisan. Agents are appointed in various dis- 
tricts into which the county is divided, who are in some cases 
honorary, in others are paid by a commission. At the last 
actuarial valuation of the society, it was declared to possess 
surplus capital to a large amount. As this society has often 
