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Southland Times, Issue 4156, 25 October 1881, Page 2

We took the opportunity lately of commending the means taken by the Post-master-General of Britain to foster habits of forethought and frugality amongst the working class of that country. With reference to one expedient, the lodgment of so small a sum as 1 shilling in the Postoffice Savings Banks, we asked the ques tion whether the colonial spirit of extravagance had been so far effaced as to make it probable that our working insn would condescend to patronise any scheme so humble as that for saving up their pence. Our local contemporary, with the half knowledge that characterises so many of his utterances, was good enough to announce, for our humiliation and the information of the public, that Mr Faweett's system had been in operation iv this colony lor a twelvemonth or more, and that our reflections, to have been in season, ought to havo been written, say a couple of yearri ago. We have only to reply that Mr Faweett's system has not been in operation among us up to this hour. There are no means existing whereby the people of New Zealand can lodge a shilling with the Post-office after the fashion invented by Mr Fawcett, so that it is still open to us, and to the News also, if it chooses, to speculate whether the system should be adopted or no. It is true, certainly, that school children have the privilege of filling up a card with stamps, after the home fashion, and making a deposit of a shilling ; but it is expressly stipulated that the card is to bo used " only by children attending schools." This is a different affair altogether, and while we would earnestly commend the practice to those who have outlived childhood and are looking the cures of the world in the face, we have from the first deprecated the encouragement of hoarding by mere children, whose business is to spend the money that comes into their hands. Saving with the definite end in view of entering on the responsibilities of life or of discharging these with credit, or with the further object of providing against the contingeocy of sickness or death is au aim that cannot be too highly exalted. But saving for saving's sake, as it would be in the case of children who have no conception of providing for the future, and who ought to have none, is a thing that should not be inculcated, and that cannot be inculcated without the risk of producing a generation of misers. Our Go'verninent, therefore, so far from having adopted Mr Faweett's system, has merely, as we think, given it au injudicious application. It would do good if the people had the use of it; it will do harm when used to stimulate the acquisitive faculty of children. As we said before, it will bo curious to watch the success of the experiment at home, and should that be great, there will be reason to press for a trial of it here. We are glad to learn that the New Zealand Govornment is following Mr Fawcett in another of. his methods of assisting the industrial classes. After the Ist of November money-orders will be issued by the Post-office on Germany, for sums from £2 up to £10, at commissions varying from Is 6d to 7s 6d. Seeing the number of German settlers that we have in the colony, this ptovision will no doubt be a considerable boon. Further, we understand that it is the intention of Government to extend the eystem to India and the United States. All these steps are in the right direction,, and are fraught with greater advantages than those aceustoined to banking facilities are apt to conceive.