RICH MAN, POOR MAN

Hutt News, Volume 6, Issue 4, 28 June 1933, Page 7

RICH MAN, POOR MAN

BETTING MEN BOTH

"Of all the apparent contradictions in the English character," says General J. E. »B. Seely in his book "For Ever England." which baffle foreign observers, none \s more difficult to fathom than the Englishman's method of dealing with his income. On the one hand his extravagance In his purchases and the amount of money he spends in sport and in betting are obvious to all and form the subject of grave warnings from Royal Commissions, economists and divines. He would appear to be far more often to blame in this matter than the man of any other race. "On the other hand, he saves more money for the benefit of his wife, and, above all, for hi» children—not rather more but much more than the inhabitant of any other land. If to this be added his voluntary subscriptions to hospitals and countless charities the dilemma is even more complete. "But further than this, the help which the poor of England give to their still poorer relations, in money and in service, is so surprising that there is no parallel <for this generosity in any other land. "On the subject of savings and generosity to poorer neighbours, I can claim to speak with knowledge. Fifty million pounds are saved by the small investor in National 'Saving Certificates alone. If to that be added the Post Office Savings Bank, the Trustee Savings Banks, the Building Societies and kindred organisations, this annual sum is quadrupled. The amount standiug to the credit of the small investor is not less than two thousand millions. "Are there, then, two quite distinct classes of people in England .one-half that gambles and wastes and the other half saves and helps? From what I know I believo that this is not in the least true. The great majority of them are doing both things at the same time. "Of course there are misers at one end and wastrels at the other; but on the whole the same people who save a bit of money all the time that they are getting decent wages and use those sav•s to help their children, buy their houses and save their poorer neighbourfrom .disaster in time of acute distress are subject to the failings which are attributed to the waster classes. "No doubt there is too much betting because it wastes so much of a man's time and adds so little to his happiness but the same thing applies in a greater degree to the pastimes of the better-to-do —playing bridge. "Personally, in spite of being a very bad exponent of the art, I love a game of bridge, though I have little time to play it; but I see clearly that more time and money are wasted by the well-to-do in playing bridge than by the poorer class in betting on horses, football, greyhounds, or newspaper puzzles. In this matter no one class can throw stones at another." -