fit to the parish.[1] It may be asked, are not the wages higher in consequence of the payment of 6d. a week to this fund? I answer, no; I rather believe that if the funds had been more prudently managed, it would have been a powerful inducement in drawing men to the works. I have seldom heard in the long period of 33 years an objection made to the payment, though the men came from all quarters, many of them without any intention of remaining for any length of time in the employ. This indeed encourages me to believe there would be less objection to such payments than might at first sight be supposed. It is from conviction of individual benefit that weighs with the parties, not personal influence, as might be supposed.
What I should propose to the House would be that every individual who made any profit or advantage of his labor, should contribute towards the establishment of a parish fund for the relief of sickness, age or misfortune, for the encouragement of industry and good morals, for a general plan of education, and such other objects as might be conducive to the comfort and happiness of the laboring classes. That to this fund capitalists and property should contribute. That all ranks and classes in society should join in promoting a system for bettering the situation and increasing the comforts of the great bulk of the nation.
Supposing the contributions to be as follows:
| 697,353 | families returned as employed in agriculture at 12d. per family per week | 1,813,117 |
| 923,588 | families occupied in trade and manufactories at 12d. | 2,401,328 |
| 1,620,941 | families constituting a po- | 4,214,445 |
- ↑ Sir F. Eden has in his valuable work on the Poor, noticed the society, as has the Board of Agriculture.
