The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-05-01
sEcEsTTrY ron TnRITT.
Easier for most People 70 Earn Money
than TO save ia Feast To-day or =
Famine Tomorrow.

Easier Ior most feopie 70 Ehrh AOhey
than 10 save It-A Feast To-day or {
Famine Tomorrow.
Quite remarkable conference was held
in the Egyptian Hall at the Mansion
House, London, a week or two ago. The
meeting was called by the Lord Mayor
and It's purpose was to consider the sub
ject Of Thrift" The interest taken in
the question to be discussed by persons oi
station and influence may he gathered
from the fact that among those present
were the Earl Of Derby, Cardinal Mann.
ing, Earl stanhope, the Rev. Canon Will
berforce, and many others Of eminence.
There were also quite number Of ladies
present on the occasion, including the
Baroness Burdett- Coutts, the Dowager
Lady Stanley Of Alderley, and the Count
tess Of Airlee. The object Of the confer
ence was to start q movement looking to
the incubation Of thrift among the English
working classes. Several papers were
read, all Of which had bearing on the
question before the conference. The frst
was on "The Margin for Saving" by Prof.
Loone Levi, the well known writer on
statistical and commercial subjects. A
second paper was on "Thrift Among the
French Peasantry." by Mr.. Blanchard
Jerrold, and there were two Others, on
"The Necessity OF Practical Education in
Thrift" and on Thrift in Relation to
Food" the last being by Richardson, the
popular writer on sanitary matters. After
these papers were read Earl Derby deliv-
cred an address, in which he assumed it
to be an accepted fact that "improyidence,
Ike intempsrahce,- iS'i. eaarac.erittie' ds%l
feet OF the English nation, taken as a
whole" oftte three classes into which
the nation is divided, he sard that men in
high positions rarely practiced frug.lity,
partly because there is no necessity for 1t,
and partly because certain external dis
playis supposed to be essential to the
maintenance Of their social status and Of
their personal popularity with those by
whom they are surrounded. He held that
in regard to thrift, the middle class prac.
ticed it to much greater extent than any
other, and the laboring class the least.
There were several causes, he thought, that
would account for their improvidence.
They had not been taught 10 be frugal,
and the opportunities for saving had not
until recently been given them by the in.
stitution Of postal savings banks; but the
chief reason was that "for men whose
ideas are few, whose work 10 monotonous
and whose pleasures are restricted, II is
far more difficult to refuse themselves the
simple luxurles which for them constitute
extravaganza, than 1t Is for those who are
differently circumstanced to curtail super
fuities which perhaps they don't really
enjoy" He appiehends, however, and
80 he tells the persons present that in
their endeavor TO promote thrift among
the working classes they will have . Ger
tain amount Of prejudice to encounter;
for that the habits OF people are not
easily changed, and, in England, the hall
bit OF letting each day care for itself Is,
among the working glasses, ingrained.
still he thinks much may be done, al
though the process Of doing 1t may be
slow. In respect to the best means OF in
creasing the habit OF rational frugality, he
said that "a penny bank in every work
shop would add millions yearly TO the
wealth OF the country" that the post
Office banks should be increased In num-
ber; that means should be provided by
which small sums could be invested In
the funds without needless cost, as in the
case in France, where every peasant near
q village can put few francs into govern.
ment securities. The organization OF
house building and OF land societies might
also form part OF the plan for ameliora.
ting the condition Of the working classes
by demonstrating the virtue OF fsslf.hslp.
But before any effective work can be done
steps should be taken TO popularize aud
explain all such matters to the masses.
Pauperism, drunkenness and preventable
diseases were the enemies to be contended
with and TO do battle with them seriously
was the work OF lifetime. There Is
much in this speech Of Lord Derby on the
condition OF the English working classes
that rs deserving OF consideration, even
among ourselves, We have, indeed, no
class distinctions among US, but social dis
tluCtlOun arc klOWiuh CNSll ySaA hhSAS
common, and we are beginning to talk Of
'ths aris.octacy OF wealth." So many
avenues are open to our people and we
are 90 iayorably circumstanced that, In or.
dinary times, It is not difficult for any in.
dustrious man to make living, and out OF
his earnings to lay by something for the
future II he will. But the great body OF
our bread. .winnersars not thrifty. Rarely
knowing what 1t Is TO want, they have
not been accustomed, as whole, to prac-
tice frugality. They have never had
either the occasion or the inclination to
calculate how large sum they might &C.
cumulate in the course Of . few years from
small daily savings and the exercise Of
even moderate amount OF self.denial.
They spend freely, and what some Of them
waste in the matter OF food would suffice
to maintain thrifty German or French
family. There Is, OF course, something
very ENJOYABLE in this freedom from care
| for the morrow. But II has Its Nemesis,
and there are not a few who, looking back
in after days at the money they have so
aimlessly squ&udered, regret that with
the opportunities they have had they
should have failed to make some proyis-
ion for their declining years. 1t is IN this
that the virtue OF thrift consists, and 1t il
| nuite com patRble with entire freedom from