There are three kinds of possible assistance.
[Sidenote: Pensions.]
First. Granting free pensions to efficient and well-conducted sisters
and nurses, under fixed regulations.
[Sidenote: Facilities for Saving.]
Second. Providing sisters and nurses with a secure channel of investing
their savings; giving them thus the important assistance of saving
their time, trouble, and expense, in obtaining information as to such
secure investment.
[Sidenote: Additions to Savings.]
Third. Combining, with the second, a certain proportion of pecuniary
aid.
As to the first. It would be wise economy if the endowed hospitals, who
alone could do it, were to grant such pensions; but whether they are
likely to do more than they do now I am quite ignorant.
Whether our labours in this field should take the direction of the
second or third, is one of the most difficult questions with reference
to a thing which is rife with difficulties. Towards solving it, I
submit that it would be expedient to employ an able and honest man of
business to procure--
[Sidenote: Information and Advice to be procured on the Subject.]
I. The rules, working, and results so far of the Servants’ Provident
Society.
II. Of several of the various partly self-supporting and partly
assisted provident societies of the different trades’ and city unions.