The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-15


a volume. The present article viii confne
Itself 10 the consideration OF thrift as II
concerns the working classes Before en-
tering upon the question OF actual money
saving IL win be well. perhaps, to touch
on the point OF early marriage, in regard
10 which the better-off are apt somewhat
unjustly to reproach their poorer brethren.
Il is patent TO the observation Of every
body that working men marry earlier than
professional or business men, and as ii is
also a general matter OF belief and con-
duct in professional and business circles
that early marriages are imprudent, it is
taken for granted that the average work
man, by marrying early. shows himself
an improvident person But the conditions
are dlssimilar. The market value OF the
average middle-class man is probably high
est after forty. certainly after thirty. The
market value OF the average workman. on
the other hand, decreases after forty, and
IN a vast number OF cases is as high at
twenty-five as Il will ever be. Therefore,
while the middle-ciass man is. In a finan-
cial sense, prudent In deferring marriage
TIL thirty or whereabouts, the workman
would be foolish, indeed, to delay the birth
of his children until within ten years or so
Of his own decline in market value. The
workman who desires. like the middle-class
man, that the infancy and school time of
his children shall coincide with his own
period Of greatest prosperity should marry
AS, in fact, he does-between the ages OF
twenty and twenty-four. Then by the time
the father begins to experience a difficulty
IN getting comparatively well-paid employ
ment the elder children at least win be of
an age to earn for themselves. 1t should
be remembered, too, that work people as
a class die younger than people who are
better of. so that bricklayer, married at
twenty, and barrister, married at thirty,
have about even chances OF seeing the man
hood of their eldest sons-another reason
why the former Is wise to marry early If
at all. Early marriages, then. whether
improvident or no in the case OF middle
class bridegrooms and brides. are not i'm
provident in the cases OF working people
unless. indeed, ii be contended that it is
improvident to marry at ALA contention
fratlght with rather alarming possibilities
TO the future of the race.
SHOULD WORKING PEOPLE SAVE?
Leaving marriage. and proceeding to con-
slider the matter of direct money-saving,
we find ourselves confronted by two ques-
lions: l. Do working people save? 2. Is
IT wise for them to save?
In answer to the first question, the exist
ence OF vast numbers of insurance COM
panies, benefit societies and clubs, large
and small, solvent and insolvent, goes to
show that working men and women in large
numbers do save. Out OF pretty wide ex-
Derience / can call to mind hardly one
worl.ing-class household in which no men,
Der contributed to some form Of organized
thrift. The trade union, the benefit club,
the Prudential" the Foresters. the Odd
Fellows, the innumerable lesser societies,
with strange names and stranger banners.
entirely unknown to the ordinary middle
class person, all live upon the weekly
pence OF the workman and workwoman- In
most OF them the expenses OF management
are proportionately higher and the return
for payments less than In insurance COM
panies demanding higher subscriptions
from weaithier clients Even so 1t is gen.
orally said that the larger societies could
not remain solvent but for the number of
members who annually lapse, leaving be-
hind them their contributions, and ceasing
TO possess any claims; while the lesser So
cieties are continually breaking up and
leaving their contributors empty-handed.
Mott canno. be maintained that working
people do not save. though 1t may be sadly
questioned whether their savings are. or
possibly can be. large enough to make any
sort of effectual provision for sickness or
cid age; while It Is unfortunately beyond
all question that they often get poor re-
turn or none for their savings.
This being so, we are driven to consider
whether It really pays the poorer working
man or woman TO save at all. 1t pays, OF
course. to put by a small sum weekly
towards the purchase OF good boots, a
warm coat or Goals at the cheaper season;
but. out OF wage OF twenty to thirty shill-
ings, Is IL wise or foolish to pay tenpence
or even sixpence. week in an attempt tc
make provision for the future? 1t IS now a
good many years since an old Scotchmar
OF great intelligence and Judgment, the
secretary OF his trade union, a member OF
the municipal council, and justly respected
by his fellow townsmen Of various ranks
gave me his opinion.
FIRST-HAND OPINION.
He related to- me how. as a young man
he had accom-. 1anied benevolent gentle
man TO lecture upon Thrift" and how
as they afterward walked away, the gen
tleman waxed eloquent on the duty Of every
man to lay by. But my old friend, cannJ
even at five-and-twenty or so, replied that
he married man with two children
that his earnings were two pounds week
that. If he spent less, either his children
must go short of what was necessary tC
make them strong, healthy and well trained
he himself must go short of what wa:
necessary to maintain his efficiency, ant
that. In his belief. the best form Of thrift
for man In his position was to maintain
the highest standard OF living which hi.
small total income would secure. In thi:
case the plan had fully succeeded. He was
/ suppose. well over sixty, as hale, activ'
and as much interested in the progress o
the world as any man of thirty. and mos
valuable citizen. His children had boil
grown up healthy, capable and INDUSTRIOUS
both were regularly employed and in re
ceipt OF good wages But suDposing-an'
his trade was one reputed unhealthy-tha
the father had died. leaving a widow sn'
young children unproyided for? We ma
note that his chance OF doing so was les
sened by his being better-fed and cfothe'
than his more sparing neighbor. Still
death is liable TO sieze even the best nour