This tract
offered free advice to every purchaser, and the result has been an
enormous amount of correspondence which during seventeen years has never
entirely ceased. This work of providing expert advice on minor legal
matters has been a quiet service to the community constantly rendered by
the Society. The barristers amongst our members have freely given
assistance in the more difficult matters. Occasionally the solicitors
amongst us have taken up cases where the plaintiff was specially
helpless.
* * * * *
In 1894, Henry Hutchinson, who had provided the funds for much of our
country lecturing, died, and to our complete surprise it was found that
he had appointed Sidney Webb, whom he hardly knew personally, his
executor, and had left the residue of his estate, between L9000 and
L10,000, to five trustees--Sidney Webb, his daughter, myself, William
Clarke, and W.S. De Mattos--with directions that the whole sum be
expended within ten years. The two last named took but little part in
administering the trust, and Miss Hutchinson died only fifteen months
later, also leaving to her colleagues the residue of her estate,
something under L1000, for similar purposes. The trustees--Mrs. Bernard
Shaw, Hubert Bland, and Frederick Whelen were appointed at later
dates--resolved that the money in their charge should be used
exclusively for special work, as otherwise the effect would be merely to
relieve the members of their obligation to pay for the maintenance of
their Society.
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