The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-02-06
THE POOR MANS FRIEND.
An Interesting Article on the Great
Work Accomplished by Building
Associations.

hSSoSAutAohos
In recent number of hppincott is
an article on Building Associations, by
Thomas Gaffney. In these days, says
the writer, when the old cry of the
rich getting richer and the poor getting
poorer is still being used for effect, it
is refreshing to be able to point to the
fact that there is no more potent
agency for distributing or equalizing
| the wealth of the world than the prin-
ciples embodiedssin building association
management. 1t is the habits of the
individual that form his character. and
his savings that represent the wealth
of the nation. The building association
teaches habits of economy. industry and
frugality, helps the individual to save,
teaches him to save and demonstrates
the value of his teachings by placing
him in possession of the results of its
lessons. 1t teaches the value of self
dependence. and inspires a love for
home and a respect for order. It
creates a better class of citizens, men
who have real interest in the soil,
peaceable, law abiding, industrious citi-
zens, who can be depended ON to ex-
ercise the right of suffrage in an in
teiligent and discriminating manner,
and who are now leaving their impress
on the city, the State and nation.
Every man who becomes a member
of these associations has an object in
view, some VERY many, indeed.) one Of
the most laudable objects in life-that
! of securing home; but whatever the
object, whether it is to acquire home,
to lay up something to sustain him in
old age or times of adversely, or for
anything else for which fund is need
ed, the fact of having an object in view
takes him at once out of the ranks of
the thriftless, and to certain extent
relieves the community of any care on
his account. Building associations by
proving safe and profitable place
where he can deposit small, or any
portion of his earnings, where he can
lay up something for rainy day, and
upon which he can draw at any time
in case of necessity-enable man to
own the home he lives in and to pay
for it in the small monthly instalments
which are little, if any, above the
| actual amount of rent he would pay
for such home.
There is no better school than these
associations for practically instructing
their members in the methods of bust.
ness and economy. The greatest bene.
fit conferred by building associations,
however, is the large number of sep
arate and comfortable homes they have
enabled their members to acquire.
Any system, society or organization
that enables man to save his money.
to become better and more useful
citizen, that is fatal to communistic
and socialistic doctrines, that is a
standing menace to lawlessness of any
kind, that dots the country over with
thousands of comfortable and happy
homes, that is by its influence teaching
lessons that are sure to rebound to the
good of the individual and community
i'll general, should certainly rank among
the foremost benefactors of the age.
All this, and much more, in a quiet
end unostentatious way, the the buii-
ding association is doing.
The foundation Of every good govern
ment is the family; and the nation that
can count the greatest number of happy
firesides is the best, most durable and
most prosperous nation. Building as
sociations have dotted the country over
with hundreds of thousands of happy
homes, and by their wholesome intlu-
ence in other ways are worth to the
State more than ten times the capital
they represent.