It will be obvious, from what has been said, that the practice of economy depends very much upon the facilities provided for the laying by of small sums of money.  Let a convenient savings bank be provided, and deposits gradually flow into it.  Let a military savings bank be established, and private soldiers contrive to save something out of their small pay.  Let penny banks be opened, and crowds of depositors immediately present themselves; even the boys of the ragged schools being able to put into them considerable sums of money.  It is the same with school banks, as we have seen from the example of the school-children of Ghent.

Now, fifteen years ago, this country was very insufficiently provided with savings banks for the people.  There were then many large towns and villages altogether unprovided with them.  Lancashire had only thirty savings banks for upwards of two millions of people.  The East Riding of Yorkshire had only four savings banks.  There were fifteen counties in the United Kingdom which had not a single savings bank.  There were only about six hundred savings banks for about thirty millions of people.  These were open only for two or three hours in the week; some were open for only four hours in the month.  The workman who had money to save, had to carry his spare shillings in his pocket for some time before he could lay them by; and in the meantime he might be exposed to constant temptations to spend them.  To keep his shillings safe, he must have acquired the habit of saving, which it was the object of savings banks to train and establish.

Dr. Guthrie, in his book on Ragged Schools, published in 1860, said:  “How are our manufacturing and handicraft youth situated?  By public-houses and spirit-shops they are surrounded with innumerable temptations; while to many of them savings banks are hardly known by name.  Dissipation has her nets drawn across every street.  In many of our towns, sobriety has to run the gauntlet of half-a-dozen spirit-shops in the space of a bow-shot.  These are near at hand—­open by day, and blazing by night, both on Sabbath and Saturday.  Drunkenness finds immediate gratification; while economy has to travel a mile, it may be, for her savings bank; and that opens its door to thrift but once or twice a week."[1]

[Footnote 1:  Seed-Time and Harvest of Ragged Schools, or a Third Plea, with new editions of the First and Second Plea, p. 99.]

Many suggestions had been made by friends of the poorer classes, whether it might not be possible to establish a more extended system of savings banks throughout the country.  As long ago as 1807, Mr. Whitbread introduced a Bill into Parliament for the purpose of enabling small deposits to be made at an office to be established in London; the money to be remitted by the postmasters of the districts in which the deposits were made.  The Bill further contemplated the establishment of a National Assurance Society, by means of which working people were to be enabled to effect assurances to an extent not exceeding two hundred pounds, and to secure annuities to an amount not exceeding twenty pounds.  Mr. Whitbread’s bill was rejected, and nothing came of his suggestions.