THE MORALITY OF THRIFT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3020, 8 April 1926, Page 1

THE MORALITY OF THRIFT.

“I have said it before, and shall say it again—though some may think it very shocking —that there is more morality in £lO in the savings bank than in the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments tell you what you ought to do; £lO in the savings bank make you want to do it. 1 do not think there is any work more patriotic today than the inculcation of thrift,” said Canon Peter Green in an address reported in the Manchester Guardian. He added that if ever he had his portrait painted he thought lie would like it painted with a copy of Smiles’ “Self-Help” in his hand. Ilis maxims for private life included “A penny saved is a penny gained” and “Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves.” These maxims were not popular to-day. The idea seemed to be that you got richer by spending, and that everybody had an inalienable right to everything he wanted. There was a great need to re-establish the idea of thrift; the idea that it was a deplorable misfortune to go upon the public funds; and the idea that the man who put something by for a rainy day was not only a good citizen but a very honourable citizen.