The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-23 00:00:00

PROVIDENCE AND CHARITY.

The following letter has been sent to Tie' Times. and
as the writer, Mr. George C. 'l7. Bartley, of Ealing, is
eodently desirous f inducing habits of thrift so as to
provide for emergencies which are sure ti arise, sooner
or later, we Lave pleasure in reprinting it :

I venture to ask for your interest and support on behalf
of a subject *bearing most importantly on the welfare of the
eomn 1111 l ity. In spite of the extendO,i of charity, especially
during the last generation, and 111 the face of our growth in
wealth throughout the same period, poverty, pauperism, and
distress seem to have grown in alnost like proportions. No
d, mid several causes have assisted to produce this, and vary-
ing opinions will he givenii, explain the apparent anomaly.
I venture, however, to think that there is one cause which
has pre-eminently been at work, and that is that charity has
been looked upon as consisting only of almsgiving and relief,
and has almost altogether failed to encourage individual
providence. This is so much the case that the prevention of
poverty and distress by inculcating hal•its of individual pro-
vidence, no far front coming within the functions of most
charities, may almost be said tube somewhat antagonistic to
their work.

The difficulty of increasing hujjvidual providence, and even
of bringing the subject before the pubhe and the employers
of labour, is great from several considerations. When distress
comes in consequence of a neglect of it, ass father dying or
becoming permanently disabled, and leaving a number ,d
children miprovided for, it is impossible to point at the
Widow and orphans, or to lecture the drowliillg man, instead
of trying to save him. We feel we must do ionnething ; our
hearts yearns to alleviate In some way the distress we witness,
and no one would say but that we are right in giving way to
our charitable feelings. Again, in the time of prosperity we
are apt to be equally unsuccessful in our efforts to inculcate
providence, for the well-to.do man may resent any suggestion
on the subject, and think our interference uncalled for.
•

. ,
Another obstacle is that little or no sentiment can liv
brought to bear On the subject, as is so easily done with
charity. To a touching case of distress the hardest will
sometimes subscribe his money, mid even devote his time,
but it is difficult to get up energy for the prosy work of per-
suading a rough, strong Inns in full health to provide for his
family in case of his death or for his own 10,1 age, lle will
very likely to be found to be obstinate and pig-beaded, and
will fancy you nave some personal interest in what you are
suggesting. Again, the abundanceof charity may, and often
dots, tend directly to induce a man to ° trust to Providence,"
as be calls it. This is the same as if he said Well, if any.
thing happens to me. I suppose some charity will look after
my wife and children."
- •

Some may be induced to put hy, if they have the opportu-
nity and understand the system. This is evident from the
wonderful results of the Post Oftlee savings banks. At the
same time thousands of persons know nothing of these banks,
and, if they have heard of them, they don't understand them
and are Vraid of the very name of bank. A man said to me
only last week, " No, thank you, Sir, DO banks for me ; they
might break up, and then I sleuth! be done."
- - . _

The system of the Post Office life insurance and annuities
is, however, much less known and understood even than
that of the Post Office banks. Whoever originated these
three Matilda,s of the Postt Om must certainly be coh..i.lered
as among the best philanthropists ,d this century. The math
lat.'. are most considerate, and, though one or two little
additions are required, they at present meet nearly every
ease which can arise. They provide, in short, a means by
which almost every man in the country might by a careful
system of economy put by something. S, small, indeed,
may each payment be that for half .a-crown a year, that is,
I y putting by tau a trine more than a half-penny a week, a
man of go years may insure a sum of about x.:7 for his family
in ease of his death. The insurance system of the Post I idles
differs little trim that of an ordinary company except that
the amount insured must not exceed tine on any one life,
and that, as above stated, greater facilities are made for
paying the premiums In small sums, even monthly payments
Wog allowed

Some, however. cannot insure, and it Is at times difficult
to induce a man to put by for the contingency of Ins death.
What he wants, or rather what he should be made to want,
even more, is to feel that when he is old and cannot work as
he used to do, he may have some other prospect than the
workhouse or the dole ofecharity. The annuity system meets
this case entirely. Ily paying a small sum weekly for a
number of years a man or woman may at any age, varying
of course with the sum paid. aecure a pension for the re-
mainder of lea or her days. Thus a num at 20 paying I lllt.
a week till he is 55 obtains at 53, and for the remainder of
his life, 10s. a week. At 25 years of age, paying 2s. 4,1, a week
will effect the same result. At 30 years, as Id.; at 35 years,
4s. Id. ; at 40 years, ss. ltd. (If comae more or less may he
secured according to payment or length of time elapsing
between the commencement or paying 'and the first instal-
lment of the annuity becoming due.
- - •

This system alt, acts as a life insurance and savings bank
combined. On the scale above given, if the persia tics not
live I mg enough to enjoy the :inanity, or wishes at any time
to withdraw, the whole stun paid in is returned without any
deduction. Thus the man at 20, dying at 21, would loos,
about s;:-. to Ms family, or dying at 26 would leave nearly £3O,
and so on.

The scheme, which of course contains many details too
long to enumerate here, has been in force for some 17 or Pi
years, though It has not been taken advantage of by the in-
dustrial classes, for whom it is expressly framed, as It de-
serves to be. The reason of this is no doubt to be ascribed
partly to ignorance and partly to carelessness, and it would
be hard to say which of those two obstacloo is the more du-
nicuit In remove.

F,,ling the immense benefit which must result from an ex-
teAqlll of individual providence, and believing that no
better plan rim be found than that already simplied by the
l'ost-eke, 1 venture to appeal to you, and through you to
employers of labour, to assist in endeavouring to carry out
some national reform in the provident habits of the com-
munity. By employers id labour I distal mean only those
whose dealings are confined to artisans, but also to all who
have clerks and others in their employ, including the largest
employer in this country—vie., the Government.
The idea of employers of labour encouraging providence
cannot be looked upon us novel or un-Engitah I would,
however, urge that a great deal more be done, and that on
a uniform national system. I would suggest, 151, that an
unairiation of the largest firms and employers of labour be
formed ti extend information atuong all classes as to the ad-
vantages of the Post Office and other means which exist for
facilitating individual providence 210, that the association
adopt the idea of regarding mank policy of insurance or
annuity documents as part of his character in seeking em-
ployment.
To the first proposition no one ean object some may to
the second. I am fully aware hose difficult it is to carry out
any change, however beneficial it may be, when it affects
the relation of employers and employed ; and it Is possible
that this idea will be looked upon as an interference with
the liberty of the subject. In truth It can hardly to no,
however. We inquire into a man's habits of steadiness,
sobriety and honesty, and ask him to produce
testimonials to substantiate his assertions. The fact, how-
ever, of its having regularly paid his premiums fir some
years would much to prove practically the that two, if not
all three of the above qualities.

I would go so far as to hope that providence, in some
shape. might become an ordinary wudition of employment,
at least of married persons. It seems to me that a man's
fellow-cmPko,s might say with perfect fairness, "We object
to anyou'e working here so living that, when old, he most
go oil to the parish or, in ease of his premature death, his
widow and children must be left destitute. It not only dis-
graces us all. but virtually the burden falls on our ttttt biers.
We consider he is as bound In provide for his own according
to his means as he is to e•lncate and feed his own children."
This would avoid the endless petitions which are sent
round hi almost every firm on the death of some
Many a hardworking Mee pays weekly considerably more in
this way than he would if be amply provided fee his family
by the annuity or Insurance system. I know a man who
rarely escapes with less than as., sometimes Us. MI a week
for subscriptions of this sort.
The Goverinnent might it,, much more titan It does. Every
post of the public service, whether it be for the duty of
dockyard labourer or tine more aristocratic officer of a junior
clerk, is eagerly sought for. If iu all new appointments the
condition of lodging insurance or annuity papers were im-
posed, with au authority to gam the amount for the poilodi.
cal payments out of the salary, it could be no hardship. A
little personal influence and trouble amongst those already
engaged would Mime a large number to follow the example,
and with the aid of an association such as I have suggested
many private films would do likewise. When the employ,si
themselves began to understand the advantages of the sys-
tem it is not unreasonable to hone that they would cease to
oppose thi3 scheme even if they at hist objected to
. .

I fear I have already trespassed too freely f m your space,
but the importance of the subject makes me hope that your
influence, which is essential for success in such a matter will
be exerted in its favour. If individual providence in all
classes is not the backbone of national progress, it is so im-
portant a vertebra in the column that without it the stability
of the whole must be seriously impaired.