A Marriage Lottery

"Michael Harria and Nancy Jacobs having polled the highest nnmber of votes were duly elected to receive a dowry of L25 and marriage tees, and a varancy was againdeclared fora couple." So ran a paragraph in a Jewish paper recently, and a reporter was fired with an ambition to learn more about these folks who give couplea dowriea, and more about the conditions under which such dowriBs are won, The benevolence, t appeared, emanated from the Society ror Allowing Marriage Fees and a Porion to Young Men and Virtuous Girls of the Jewish Faith. The president of this society one would imagine would se a patriarchal sage with grandchildren in scores about his knees. But Mr. A. Swaab, who ia the head of the society, is a young man with a slight black mustache, a clean shaven chin and certainly no grandchildren. When not hymeneally occupied he is engaged in his business as a diamond merchant in Hatton Garden. "The society," he said, in reply to the interviewer, "has been in existence nearly 50 years, and has done no small amount of good. It was started among a few friends in quite a small way, and a dowry of L10 only was all that could be afforded at first. But L10, if not exactly a drop in the ocean, was not quite Bufflcient to answer the purpose in view, and as the f und grew the dowry wasincreased to L25." "Are the operations of the society confined to London?" "No. They extend all over England. The funds aro recruited by subscriptions of all amounts, from a penny a week upward, and by donations." "It gives them a prior claim on the dowry perhaps?" "No, it doesn't. I will make thatclear in a moment. We assist about a dozen couples every year, the dowries and marriage fees coming to over L300. The object in giving the dowry is to enable the young couples to start a little business together. Before becoming candidates for the dowry- toward which they need not have subscribed a farthing- they have to be possessed of all home necessaries and furniture, and the man has to prove to the satisfaction of the committee that he is in a position to ïnaintain his wife." "Only virtnous girls are to be befriended by the society, I gather from itstitle. Does it not become rather a delicate matter to adjudícate upon the qualiñcations of young lady applicants?" "Every case is investigated by two members of the committee, appointed annually for that purpose. They make their inquines with proper tact and discretion, and they also investígate the character of the man. Let us go through the entire procedure S;iy a vacaney has been declared. which nieans that we have sufficient in hand to put another dowry up for competition. We send out notices to that effect and supply forms of application. We get four, five, six, perliaps a dozen couples contesting for the prize. They all cc:ne before the comxnittee in couples, and are asked questions concerning tiie money they have saved, the nature of the man's work, and so on. Once, I suppose, I must have been pressing tho prospective bridegroom pretty hard, for tho young lady spoke up sorrowfully, 'Well, sir, you got married once, and we want to too!' " "Well, as soon as they have been admitted as candidatos, what follows?" "We give them a book of members, and teil them to go and canvass for votes, the members possessing votes in proportion to the amount of their subscriptions." "Have you yourself many votes?" "Yes, I hold something like 80 votes." "Then you are the target of plenty of beseecliing brown eyes and persuasive glances?" "No, nothing out of the way, because as president I take no part iu choosing the recipients of the dower." "Can you give me a specific instance of the good the society has done?" "I can, and a striking one, I think. There are three members of the committee of the society, now men of position and well to do, who were embarked upon life with dowries from the society."