The post office and its story : $b an interesting account of the activities of a great government departmentBennett, Edward
History
The post office and its story : $b an interesting account of the activities of a great government department
Bennett, Edward
Postal service -- Great Britain -- History
Friendly Societies, Provident and Charitable Societies, and Penny Banks
are allowed to deposit under special concessions as regards limits, and
vast sums are dealt with annually in this way. Large numbers of these
societies are managed entirely by the working people themselves, and the
rules which are drawn up have to be approved by the Department before
any money can be accepted. An application was once received from three
trustees of a Friendly Society addressed to the Postmaster-General, who
was at the time Lord Wolverton. From the alterations in the letter it
was apparent that much discussion had arisen as to the proper manner in
which a letter to his Lordship signed by three persons should be
commenced. “My Lord” was evidently considered ungrammatical, and the
letter eventually started with the words “Our Lord.” The effort to
construct rules which shall pass muster with the Postmaster-General
often appears to tax the members of the working class clubs
considerably. Some try the grand style. “The objects of this club are
the glory of God, the honour of the King, and the decent interment of
our members.” Not so bad for a small burial club. Better, perhaps, still
is this from musicians: “That the objects of the band shall be to work
for Christ's Kingdom, the Bankshire and West Mercia Tabernacle to have
first claim on its services.” Others endeavour to imitate legal
phraseology with wonderful results. “Any member while on the funds
carrying on his proper or improper occupation shall forfeit his
benefit.” It would evidently be no use to plead that though you had
earned other money while receiving benefits your luck was due to having
successfully backed a winner. But in most cases the rules are drawn up
in the people's own idioms. For instance, “Our Society is in case if a
member should have a Pig Die with the Swine Fever or any unnateral death
so as to receive the worth of the Pig out of the Fonds of this Society.
We are cheefly agriculteral laberers.” I like the last touching
confession. I like also the quiet assumption that the Postmaster-General
will know what is the natural death of a pig.
“All our transactions with the General Post Office have been straight
and above-board so far,” wrote the secretary of a society, thus holding
out grim possibilities of what might be expected in the future.
“Any member who has a complaint can give it to the under-mentioned
gentlemen who were elected at the committee.” So runs a rule of a
working man's sick club, and it seems to me a far simpler plan than
sending for the doctor.
“Help one another Infectious Diseases Club,” is the pleasant name of
another society.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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