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.
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