THE REV. J. FROME WILKINSON ON FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.*
MR. WILKINSON'S book is much narrower than his title. Without going into Sanskrit derivations, if we hold thrift to be that by which man thrives, and mutual thrift to be that by which man helps man to thrive, then the title should clearly cover not only Friendly Societies, but co-operative bodies of whatever form, whether that of the Industrial and Provident Society, the Building Society, the Loan Company or Society, the Trade-Union,—some might feel disposed to add educa- tional institutions of a mutual type. Mr. Wilkinson is well aware of this, since he expressly limits his subject by -the exclusion of Trade-Unionism and Co-operation, as having received separate treatment in the series to which his book belongs (" Social Questions of To-Day "). We do him, there- fore, no injustice when, for purposes of criticism, we bring his work back within the scope of its actual purpose.
As one who has largely mingled with the leading men among our affiliated Orders, and as the founder himself of a meritorious affiliated Society for women, Mr. Wilkinson is entitled to a respectful hearing on his subject, and his book gives evidence of careful study and a large acquaintance, under some of their aspects, with the matters of which it treats. His
Mutual Thrift By J. Frome Wilkinson. M.A. (- Social Questions of To-Day," edited by H. de B. Gibbins, M.A.) London: Methuen and Co. 1881.
chief familiarity is, however, with the affiliated Orders—no doubt by far the most important as well as the most in- teresting group among Friendly Societies—and the want of a thorough acquaintance with some other types sometimes betrays him into contradictory statements, as when, on p. 60, he speaks (quite correctly) of there having sprung up "in West Lancashire, and especially in Liverpool a species of dividing Society known as the Tontine ;" whilst at p. 127 he states that in Ireland "the term Tontine has nothing in common with its use in England,"—the fact being that the mis- called " Tontine," as a yearly dividing Society, is of precisely the same type on both sides of the Irish Channel, and following, no doubt, the influx of Irish immigrants, after establishing its centre in Liverpool, has spread with them to Birkenhead, and is now extending into Denbighshire. Again, Mr. Wilkinson's table of the Friendly system on p. 37, in which he takes credit for avoiding the cross divisions and minuteness of subdivision of the classification adopted by the Friendly Societies Coin- mission of 1870-74 (his own subdivisions amounting to fifteen, against their seventeen) will itself hardly hold its ground. It might, for instance, be inferred from the table that Societies giving only a sum at death are confined to "general collecting Burial Societies, with Industrial Assurance Companies," and "local collecting Burial Societies," the fact being that there are a vast number of Burial Societies (the existence of which is noticed elsewhere in Mr. Wilkinson's book) employing no collectors at all.
The work is divided into seven chapters, the first four of which, after an introduction and a setting forth of the scope of the subject, are devoted to a historical survey of it ; the fifth treats of bodies insuring sick-pay as well as small sums at death ; the sixth, of the methods of Societies and Companies assuring a sum at death, of the Report of the Select Parlia- mentary Committee, and of child-life insurance; and the seventh and last of "The Outlook." The historical survey is painstaking and generally correct and able, except so far as Mr. Wilkinson is carried away by the prejudices, or at least prepossessions, of the officers in the class with which he has had most to do. If he had been as conversant with Friendly Society matters in 1874-75 as he is in 1891, he would be aware how strong at that time was the opposition (led mainly in the House of Commons by Sir Charles Dilke) on the part of the branches of Orders against what were considered the dangerous powers given to their central bodies by the new Bills, an opposition of which the traces are still apparent in the preamble prefixed to the "General Laws" of the Ancient Order of Foresters. It should always be borne in mind that in every Order there is a perpetual antagonism between the centrifugal and the centripetal tendencies,—that whilst the efforts of a certain number of members, generally the most enlightened, are directed to the strengthening of the central body, the efforts of probably an equal number, often not less intelligent, are directed to the resisting what are considered the encroach- ments of that body upon the rights of the branches. Hence the necessity on the part of the officers appointed by the State to carry out the law of holding steadily an even balance between the two opposing tendencies. Although the Acts in force prescribe certain conditions under which the legal status of a branch in connection with an Order can be obtained, Mr. Wilkinson appears to find fault with the Registrar for not recognising at once as a branch whatever the central body of an Order may call by that name. Yet he himself names one of the smaller Orders, the Bolton Unity of Oddfellows, in which "many lodges are quite independent of the central authority, and refuse to recognise obedience to the general rules of the Order." Is the Registrar to do the work of such central bodies for them, and, overstepping the bounds of what he considers strict law, to reduce the recalcitrant branches to obedience ? The result would certainly be to arouse a fierce opposition to registry on the part of what may be called the more democratic portion of the Orders, and thereby to throw away at least a large portion of the good results of the last sixteen years.
On the subject of valuations, Mr. Wilkinson's observations are correct and useful. He admits that with partial exceptions, adequate contributions are not being paid by members for the benefits they have received and expect to receive, whilst at the same time quoting some valuable observations by the present Chief Registrar of Friendly Sosieties, Mr. Brabroo1r, which point out how much out of place are the terms "in-
solvency" and "rottenness" when applied generally to Friendly Societies.
The chapter on "The Methods of Societies and Companies Assuring a Sum at Death, &c.," though valuable as respects its immediate subject, labours under a similar defect to that already pointed out in respect of the table classifying Friendly Societies, and would lead the reader to believe that all burial- assurance is carried on by the great collecting Societies and Companies.
In dealing with " The Outlook," Mr. Wilkinson reiterates his objection to Mr. Blackley's scheme, but speaks with more favour of that of the Rev. W. Moore Ede, of Gateshead, for providing a working men's superannuation or pension fund from the age of sixty-five, though doubtful still of this. His last words may be usefully quoted :—
" The one question to be put to all proposals coming from the State is this—Will this external help evoke self-help ? Will these improved outward circumstances develop and improve character ? When this one thing is done, all is done. You may safely leave to roused energies and to cultivated tastes the utilising of the existing conditions of life and the general social and domestic improvements you desire. Till this one thing is done, nothing is done—nothing permanent. And as a last word it must be added, that any legislative proposal, however plausible and help- ful it may appear, that in the smallest degree lessens the healthy cultivation and exercise of the economic and moral virtues of self- reliance and self help, as seen in the great voluntary mutual Thrift Associations of our country, will strike a deadly blow against national progress."
Without pretending to the philosophic breadth and com- pleteness of treatment of Dr. Baernreither's admirable volume on English Associations of Working Men, Mr. Frome Wilkin- son's more portable work contains much practical informa- tion, and should be useful to many readers, were it only by bringing down to date the facts of his subject. But without for one moment impugning his absolute good faith, a certain discrimination must be exercised in accepting his conclusions, and sometimes his statements of fact.
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