The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1855-9] MUTUAL GUARANTEE. 307
amount of providence was shown in Scotland, England
at first lagging much behind, while poor Ireland was
fairly distanced. Subsequently, however, England
came up with Scotland, and even Ireland amended
her relative position. Still, the number of insurers,
when compared with that of the whole force, was at
best but small : a defect attributed to the premiums
having to be paid in quarterly amounts; an arrangement
unsuited to men in the receipt of weekly or even
monthly wages. It was therefore arranged that insurers
should have the option of making their payments
by means of a small deduction from their
salaries. This improvement was found to produce
the desired effect ; the number of insurers increasing
cent, within three months after
by about eighty per
the alteration.*
Another beneficial change arose thus. Of course,
in these departments of the service where the
officers have to be intrusted with the public money,
guarantees are required of those who are appointed;
a requirement necessarily producing either trouble
or expense. Private guarantees were commonly
procured, though some nominees got the security
of the British Guarantee Association, the fees
for obtaining which, however, although moderate,
implied a considerable deduction from the smaller
salaries. Mr. Banning, the postmaster of Liver-
pool, conceived the plan of a mutual guarantee
amongst the officers themselves. This proving
very successful at Liverpool, was subsequently
introduced into the Chief Office, and extended
to the offices of some other of the principal
towns.t
* "Sixth Report," p. 43. t " Sixth Report," p. 42.
X 2