The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-09-29
IN THRIFTY BELGIUM
LAND WHERE THERE ARE PRAc-
TlCALLY NO PAUPERS.
How the Government Has Aided Pros.
pertty-Aiways a Little Something j,
Put Away for Days Of Old
Age.

Across a narrow sea from England
Is little country which, though
densely populated, has practically no
paupers. nor do the people emigrate.
This is thrifty Belgium, where there
is thrift Of the individual, thrift Of the
family. cooperative thrift, national
thrift, and prosperity in the face Of
the keenest competition of its power
ful neighbors. England. France and
Germany.
The government, instead of paying
old age pensions and dispensing char
fty, has machinery for the encourage.
ment of thrift and thereby for the
prevention Of dependence It pays
the Individual interest on his savings,
1t insures his life and it will give him
an annuity If he saves to pay for it.
In the government savings bank de-
pos1ts may be made in every post Of
f1ce Of the kingdom and in all the
branches of the National bank. The
minimum deposit Is one franc. There
Is no maximum. The government
provides in special way for those
who cannot put aside so large a sum
as franc at time 1t authorizes
smaller deposits by postage stamps in
order to encourage school children,
farm laborers and the like; and rural
postmen carry with them the neces..
sary forms for this purpose, and urge
the public to make use of the savings
bank in this way.
Life annuities may be contracted
for at all branches of the savings
bank, at all branches of the national
bank, at all post Offices, and at the
offices Of all tax receivers. The MIMI
mum payment that may be made is
one franc and the smallest annuity
paid by the fund is one franc, while
the largest is 1900 francs. The an
nuities become payable at the end Of
each completed year from the age of
fifty to sixty-flve.
In addition to the annuity fund
there is government insurance
der government guarantee. Life or
endowment: policies may ,be contract.
ed for, the latter payable at the end
of 10, Is, 20 or Is years, or for a
period ending at the ages of fifty-five,
sixty or sixty-five.
This policy has instAled ideas of
thrift in the minds of the school chill
dren, 1t has driven thrift into the
household where the income Of the
husband, or of wife and husband com.
bined, is rarely spent, and In most
cases liberal margin is left for the
future. The people live within their
incomes. Our income" they say, "is
so much a year; we must live within
it and put away something for our old
days."
Among English speaking people,
this is the habit: I'VE must have this
and that and 60 here and there. and
so we must bring our income up to
that mark at all hazards"
But the Belgian household enjoys
contentment and awaits with patience
larger income before buying this
and that and before going. here and
there: and they do not try to keeE
the pace set by those whose means
are greater The observer sees Xn
every hand men and women, still with
the freshness of youth, who have re-
tired from active, bread winning
work and are enjoying life on the
capital saved by reasonable economy
They have lived wisely-neithel
slaves nor prodigals-and their de-
clining years are provided for.