New-York tribune., 1906-12-23
SAYING IN ENGLAND.
Hoz0 the Christmas Goose Club
Is Run.

That thrift r. not a prominent virtue OF the
English workingnan is evident TO the Ameri-
can visitor In London, especially IN the holiday
season About two months before Christmas
nearly every public house" as the salon is
called there. displays pIacard inviting mem
bership IN its Christmas Club" These So
called clubs are funds TO provide the contrib
utors with eatables and especially drfnkabIes at
Yuletide. By paying sixpence d2c) or a shTI-
ing C24c) for eight or ten weeks previous a
goose turkey and a bottle OF gin and bottle
Of whiskey are forthcoming on Christmas Eve.
The first evfl resulting from this attempt az
saving Is TO draw the workman TO the saloon
every Saturday night TO pay his dues. even
though he might go there anyway. Another Is
the high price he eventually pays for what he
gets Efforts. and successful ones too have
been made of late years by settlements and
other missionary centres IN poor districts 20
eounteract the syfs OF the pub" Christmas
Club BY promoting goose and turkey clubs OF
their own As the promoters desire no profits
and buy at Wholesale. they are able TO give
the poor more for their money. BY eliminating
the spirituous part OF the transaction and sub
sdtutng groceries instead, even more Is done
for the needy contributors A striking example
OF this kind OF self-help was the Robert Brown
ing Settlement Goose Club IN WaIworth. an
artisan district on the Surrey side OF the
Thames which distributed the last Christmas
6.1Oo turkeys. geese or rounds OF beef. each ac-
conpanied by five pounds OF groceries. Each
share represented q total outlay OF only ST so
by the beneficiary. paid IN fifteen weekly in
stalnents This distribution Is believed to have
broken the Christmas Goose Club record in
London That the poor themselves appreciate
this form OF cooperation Is shown By the fol-
lowing remark OF woman as she lert the Set
tement to carry home her goose and groceries:
-Better'n the old pub goose cluhsY WHY. nv
Jack e wos IN the Docks Fad Club, an It cost
I'm ten and stx Cs2 Co. II ala. an drink or
two every time he went TO pay anythfnk An
e got goose an a bottle o. gin an whiskey-
an reckon p'id for them things twice over
me an the chicks did. enuy~owr
The public house share OUT on Christmas
Eve Is followed. when the participants are
turned out at midnight. by scenes OF drunken
reveiry, as many women as men apparently
Joining IN the discordant rfbaIrry-an f1co,-
gruous accompaniment to the hymns with which
groups Of humble carol singers ars welcornine
Christmas Day for the pennies thrown then,
from the houses before which they pause.
Another cnmmendable but often loosely nan
aged attempt Of the London workman 70 nro-
vide against Christina, Is the "slate club The
operatives IN nearly every factory or shop an
potnt treasurer from among themselves TO
Snom they pay knan amount weekly with
drawing the sum OF their deposits Just before
the holidays
But each year. with the advent OF the holiday
heason tho common scandal Of the eeralcatfons
Ok sorne among The treasurers OF -xiate cluhs-
= brought once more into public notice. The
ur@Sursr' WIN no security for tho funds in
nS possession. b exposed To temptation hi,
moral sense Is too often too feeble to resist
weeks before tho day OF reckoning he nav
have IN hand what Is to him a eonssaer.h1 60