The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-01-04 00:00:00

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1873.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR ON
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Lord Se 'borne, who as Sir Roundel' Palmer
acquired a very high reputation /or brilliant
mental qualities, has done the country good son
vice by calling the attention of the working
and labouring classes to the operations of
Friendly Societies, pointing out some of their
defetts, and suggesting that these classes should
give their support to the National Deposit
Friendly Society. We should at once state that
this society is not a private speculation. It is
intended to become a really national institution,
with branches adapted to any locality, and to he
worked wholly for the benefit of, and partly by
the meiabere themselves. For the present its
head-quarters is Guildford. Ita president is the
Duke of Northumberland; there are several
trustees; and it appeals to the industrial classes
without any party bias, and purely with the ob-
ject of promoting theirs self-dependence, or
rather their independence by the aid of mutual
Co. operation.
The National Deposit Friendly Society is es-
tablished on the principle of combining the fea-
tures of the savings bank and the Friendly So-
ciety. Each member agrees to pay one-fourth
towards his own relief out of his own deposit,
and on this condition his fellow members find
the rest. It affords the ordinary help offered
by Friendly Societies—medical attendance, sick
pay, annuities, and funeral money. It differs,
however, from ordinary Friendly Societies, inas-
much as its members receive back annually a
proportion of whatever money remains over from
the common sick fund, after providing for con-
tingencies. Members can also pay into their
savings bank account money over and above the
Friendly Society Late, and have Post-office in-
terest for it. Women may become members. ,
Now it is beyond dispute that—to mention only
two great societies, each worthy of all honour
for what they have done—the Foresters and the
Odd Follows have enormous reserve funds which
in all human probability can never be required
for the ordinary purposes of these Societies.
The improveineut now suggeeted, and partly
carried out, is that only as ranch money as is
really wanted should be subscribed, and that
members should profit in proportion to their sub-
scriptions, due allowance being made for money
teat may have been paid them on claims. The
idea is simply a savings bank for mutual help in
sickness and old age, and for the ordinary bene-
fits of a savings bank to those members who can
save beyond the friendly society rates. We can-
not go peril into niceties of detail, but recom-
mend the reader to study them for himself. We
must, however, refer to some of the Lord CLau- ,
mikes remarks on the subject, made on the oc-
casion of meeting the other day at Lipbrook,
Hampshire. His lordship urged the duty and
importance of provident habits, which no one
will dispute. He also commented on the various
features of life assurance and of frliadll ocie-
ties, highly eulogising their general principles.
Lord Selborne speaks with undoubted authority
as the highest legal functionary in the laud, and
it. is very important therefore to note what he
says as to the security of the Odd Fellows' and
Foresters' societies. " You would be very much
mistaken," says his lordship, "if you were to
suppose that in any subscriptions to a club of
this description you would have the security of
all the lodges of Odd Fellows or Foresters all
over the kingdom. That is not so. You would
have the security of your own particular lodge '
and nothing more." His lordship then pointed
out that in connection with the society first re- ,
ferred to there would be the security of the asso-
ciation of clubs extending over a large district;
and we may add that there is no reason why this
society should not become really "national," as
it is entitled, and that, therefore, the members
may have nationel security with local manage-
ment. It may be well to quote his lordship's
~x.et words se to the twofold object of this as-
sociation, " This society," says Lord Selborne,
combines two things not always or generally
combined in clubs of this kind. One is the or-
dinary relief which all friendly societies give to
their members in time of sickness or distress;
the other is that which clubs do not generally
oiler, a certain return of that proportion of the
money paid in which is not wanted, according
to the rules, for pay.. ent to other members."
We have thus referred to this important sub-
ject in the interest of the working classes gene-
rally, repeating that there are no private hate
tests to promote in this great scheme. His
lordship's advocacy of the general principles of
mental help and of the duty of economy end co.
operation is very timely. The working classes
have been very prosperous, and thousands of
them have saved money; but piosperity cannot
secured, and if there be any means by which
lie working classes can lay by for a rainy day,
and combine this with the savings-bank system
—as we believe there now Is the boundeu
duty of the mechanic, artisan, or labourer—who
inks others depending on him to study the new
scheme which Lord Selborne—fur abuse all sus-
picion ot favouritism or puffery— has beeu advo-
cating.