The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-05 00:00:00

SMALL BEGINNINGS.

A short time since a very amusing and instruc-
tive article under the above heading appeared in
one of the periodicals of the day. It traced from
the first work of the tiny coralline insect the coral
branch, the reef, the island; from the minute shell
it showed the rise of the chalky cliffs of our isle, and
from many other examples showed " what great
events from little causes spring." •
Our columns of to -day contain the report of an
association whose past history and present condi-
tion entitle it to rank under this heading. Just
twenty-three years ago it occurred to a small knot
of gentleman, chief clerks in some of the 4, great
city houses," that while every trade had its " guild,"
every handicraft its " union," and every profession
save their own had its fand or common link of
bretherhood, the clerks, a body numbering some
hundred thousand educated men whose sole capital
was their brains, and their intelligence, had no
institution of any kind identified with their body
or devoted to their interests. To cure this and to
do it most effectually, two kindred institutions
were at once formed, a Mutual Life Assu,rance
Association and a Benevolent Fund, Shirting
without a penny to any " promoter," and without
a fraction for " preliminary expenses," with. per-
fectly separate and independent incomefi and
capitals, but under one management, the two
institutions have put sued a career marked
with ste dy but constant and undeviating success,
while the Lite Office, whose doors are of course
open to general assurers, and whose meeting we
have this day reported, has gradually bee ured sucti
an amount of p.trundge from Inc Public at large as
to place it among the best offices of we day. 1.6
has for many years afforded US sincere pleasure to
record its progress, but tew of those wuo watched
its unpreteuoing commencement would have foretold
that the Provident Clerks' Lite Office. of 1862 would
ea;
rsloyi ih7i,yeoltu) v tass.seuuretruso, dcooto
It2r01801,110g00,ttaalnoc10;
have exhibited bona fide income of more tbito
listilt( ,oof0m
01j,every CISSS of society, from Vie Ito) at Family
to the ,aui ktug-elass of the Post•-offiee, and otpe`..
great Oep.rtments and public esta)dastiments. lh
I( has none this speaks volume s for the energy
both of the management and the executives
while the tact that one of the soundest °ll..
most cautious actuaries of t e day has certified to;
divisable surplus of £30,000, as the result of the
past five years working shows that good, and °fa
simply great business has been their object/ an
that in seeking to extetd the sphilre of their opera-
tions, they have at the same timo been enabled
confine them to a safe and legitinotate area. In t.. it
days of mere puffery and advenCitiaus splendour
is pleasant to find that an office which does not
o
pro-
fess to achieve impossibilities, or to do !nor! , their
give all its members the full and lair value Uf
money, is so highly appreciated., not only by the
the
body by whom it was originally :iornied, but P
great miss Of society at large.

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