FOR SLACK TIMES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 558, 13 July 1909, Page 6

FOR SLACK TIMES.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.

WHAT M I ON ISTS THINK OF; IT.

SOME ;Fa'cTS :ANI>; THEORIES.

The question of insurance against unemployment having apparently been brought within the bounds of practical politics by the Hon J. A Millar's recent statement on tho subject, a Domikion reporter set out to discover how tho idea is regarded in local labour circles Tho series of interviews which he obtained proved to bo all in favour of tho general idea under discussion, but there uere marked differences of opinion as to the actual lines that should be followed Statement by the Hon. a. Rlgg. Tho Hon J Rigg, MLC, regretted that he was unable, at the moment when his views wore sought, to refer to his notes on the German 6jstom of unemplojment insurance * Hβ was convinced that that system comprised all that was required Contributions wero paid by tho trade unions, tho employors, and the A commission j Bet up by the English Labour party had visited }ermany to inquie into tho system, and the report which was presented was, ho thought, not. quite so favourable as tho opinion T\hioh he had formed Ho was satisfied that the German scheme was the best in existence, and it would bo to tho advantage of New Zealand to proceed on similar lines. Its success would depend very much upon how it was and it would, therefore, be necessary to conb'der very carefully tho lines on which the scheme should be organised v lt should be worked through' umons or federations of unions The contributions of the employors would be virtually a charge on oach of tho industries concerned. According to the modern theory of political economy, surplus labour was, necessary for the carrying on of industries, and, if this was so, it must follow as a matter of equity that the industries should mrfke some contribution towards tho support of such surplus labour, during the periods when it was not required by the industries Voluntary and General Sohemo Desired. Mr. B. J. Carey, secretary of the Cooks' and Waiters'' Union, said he was in favour of insurance' against unemployment, just as against accident , sickness, 'but he recognised -that no insurance scheme could, 'to any great extent, prevent tho recurrence of periods of unemployment There was a paragraph in the minority report of the Poor Law Commission, which should convince any worker l that as long as the present sjstem oxßted there would be unemplojment Tho paragraph, which was headed "Undor-em-ployment is a Canse of Pauperism," was as follows — ' "If we could to-day kill, or deport, or otherwise remove every/ existing pauper between the ages of 16 and 60, wo should, if we made no other change,, within Un or'twelve years find as great a number on our*hands as at ( present It was tho 'duty"of all workers (continued Mr Carey) to guard against such conditions He was against any scheme of unemployment insurance to the members or trade unions, as their membership only comprised 25 per cent of tho workers in the Dominion. Tho 'scheme should be purely voluntary. An unemployed worker was a loss to tho community , as a, whole, and no section of the community, whether, connected with organised labour or with the churches, should be compelled'to guard against this general loss.' ' What the Labour Deoartment Might Do.

waS'.nofc.so'far-reaeliirig.in.; New 'i&ala , nd^ ; -Bs/li :, '3faV i 'in':-qtlMr-;'*»mtnM;lnat bad'already legislated against:, it,::and:;iie ■th'ougKfc\;-fte-iatoVrVD2partm^t./cp\i]tt:;ex-terid: its "functions "so as "to: .open -in" all': the centres unemployment' 'insurance ■ agencies, •■tyherevony worker could, 1 by.paying,a--weekly: ■cbntribu'tion,"»insure : .himself;- against: unemj plo^eh'tf ,1 ' ;.she';'Sf atSvshould subsidise; the contributions' 1 t6/'the ; exteixt .or ; 60 per 'ceriti;-and- , should safeguard, the;iinterests-'of .the i; offi^*W'-stf*!?'. : ™etliods}aß^w(af*".aa6ptea. iii Switzerla,nd and- Denmark, .so; that: the would not' be.exploited: by the: unem-. ■'/p)pyablq^': :V C^'ain:'tr9aes-;nnip'jis^in.;N.ew.-.Z€a- : - land insured; their :• workers-against. .unemplpy&pnt/iand-.-th9y:-'oT3ght-.-ib.-.;bevßiib-"Bidised.%-'tHe'--,.6byeTOmeht:--to.-ttVe^nt;i.pf. 30 or/iO'per: cent;,,the: administration ibeing loft: .entirely -'to/ the ; _of the-.unions.■ Seeing that 'recent, legislation ..nadv been in the direction'of'restricting'the the uriions,i and there :'wer^ c on , ; the Statute r ßook ; ; -::-at,..,. : . the, yitai::'v,priqcmles;.'';bf^'timonism^>^:'Jike the' anti-strike clauses: of the Arbitration would '.advise'all unions , to resist any j atfempt'tb'.force them:' 'to arrange^^;a;compulBory swieme'o'f iifiuraiioe for their; members. If the Government would. : restpre;, to .the unions-the right to; say- whpV should . ]oia them, and .to,fix the-Entrance feesraad ccmtrib"utibri3;!.'he.v;might..:.then:.agree- that the. 'Statel should'-'compel-the unions to protect the' intefosts .of thejf-;-outrof-work.imembers. A' voluntary:. State ;schenie,■: npt.<confined::;to unionists; was the .only :one.'he;cquld. apprp\;e bfvas\the law; ; now..stood,.'and >he did-not: think the employers 'could be made a contnbuting:npaity. .■■With .a-'scheme:': managed by- the'UhioTis -and-.confined-'to -the separate industries,' thought the -.empWerd -\cpuld easily to, pay,, their, quota S6niethiae r, '.w,ould,.,haye : : to, be. done,;,.;as , it, seemed ■ tnat '■'■ unerbploymeat 'would. be.-recur^ Tent, 'and a ; 'system.:h.y"wliich workers wpuld be givm.an: opportunity,bf,prptecting,themselves ; :wasy very'''desirable/ ■■:;. Syvi; .■ ,;

■ ; ■r ;?, V'4i/;What v 'one''jUhlbn,. Does;-; __ ■'Xiie Amajgamatii fof <L Carpenters which members, con-. for .the. benefit ;-.pf_ its members,' ;m^'l'secretary!,:for ,thei district,/.whon seen. , yesl'erclaj/'gaye some ■paiticulars, relating^"to;;the v :furidV,wiiich' .mak^,paymcnts : ■ for. ■iickhes's.'-SOTeranriuation.tloss.'bfstools, laccidentV'■and'oeatli, as well' as - unemployment. He 'stated 'that ■'thß.'superannuat/dn. portion of the" scnemb-'was , taken by-thoßritishGoyern-Ventasth&basis^ Any' "maii. wlip ■ !has ■' been, ■ a ''.. contributor ! for 25iyears> ar >diias;:reached : ,the'age' of\ss; jis. i' entitled,: payment,- ;tb.'>-an allowance , ' of'-'Sap. per: week 'for ,thq: rest 'of : his .life.": fle" haii the right to eani-up to half : 'wage's •-. while, .in receipt of, this! pay. The' ifuhe'rar benefit ;is :£!£■■ Sick pay is ,12s. 'a week for'.'the firsi 26: weeksj and 63. "a • wsek; i thereafter,: 'eyen,;thougl l v|,he;'s}pknes;s;may ■■ last f or 'y'ears.!''A contributor receiv.es. 10s. per week during v any' peribct' of ' unemployment. 'lip to 12."weeks; 6s. per. week, for v anotber period 'of tliq same .duratipn, at, the ;end of which-the'bynentceaseS.,'.The/compensation for Occidents; .iß"'£lCip .in' case '.of,, total. dis-' 'ablement; and iSO-.in case of .partial,.disablemenf. r '•'.Contribuiib«B:.'are,at the,rate of'9a. per'week,'int'addition : :to the regular sub- ,, scriptiqn of; 6d. per- ; weet.■;.to. . the general funds-p.fi the •union. Members of the benent section must ba'-'competent tradesmen,,.between the'ages.iof. 19, and 40, iand'must. t be elected .'by- b>l!ot. vln.tbeeyent.of the.funde in' hand 'in .tho,benefit; s6ctiqn, falling, below: 2s;' : ppr'^membor,'.,a'levy isirriade.at,the instance- of : the"exfcutiye in.England. Such ; a^OTy.ys-,bßjiiVcollec.ted,at\th'e. - 'ar: a the- -strain upon ,the fuiid caused' py^-iinpniplqyment.; in different Countries;;'-Where; the / society : operatea. %, .;;. ■■^''C:-ii:'-- : - Large.Sums Hartdled.- . : :v>JV.- , -*-; H Mr^Stobart'ferther.stated- that last'year £112,253 was. tiaid, »w,ay ; in benefit, £46,292. in oick. benefit, £46,779 ■ for. superannuation, £6010: for accident pay, and £3396: as compensation for loss of tools.' Ine total income of the •' benefit'.eeotiOn 'last-W----wa5V£279,869.' There weio 66,000 cpntnbutora ; the--:'remaining: 5000 >■. members: of, the union belonging : only, to;,the,,trado.r section. •':■; '"Seeing:, ftat-' the. society especially . ,at. Home," coricjtuded Mf/Btokrt,. "saves .its: mompers from; asking :;^ f the, nnblio funds, we.thinfe that our benefitfund as.is done, W. Denmark,' .where, the Government • pays one-third of. all the money paid out by. the. .unions'for. unemployment-benent. -<■ ■■ ■■ '■■ ":■ ■■. '■''*;: German Professor's!;Vlew3. .-, - Professor Manes; lecturer on the .science, of Assurance : at ; the Commercial ; lO f Berlin,; being ot preeent: inr WeUington,

his view? on. tlse subject of insurance against unemployment'.were .sought by the reporter. Hβ iaidi.the unemployed might be divided into 1 three classes. There were those who, wanted to v loaf as;long as. poeeible without working, and there .vpere those, who n ad ., a M ways plenty of work in .summer and little or none in winter. For the first of these classes insurance ag3inat unemployment; was; out of the and the only thing for. the second to do was to save money during the summer." The'third class consisted ot those/who were .liable to bo'thrown out -.of 'work-by commercial crises; and it was, lor these alone that insurance against unemployment was possible: 1 * It : might be worked by compelling all the employers in ' a certain trade to.pay a.oortain amount each to aj insurance fund., The workers ehoiild. also, be obliged to subsoribe regillarly;.to the fund while theywere. employed, .and.it should be. subsidised by.'the State. ;He would^: recommend sueh a 'system'.'.but-.he did not think it, ought to' be.necessary in; New Zealand.,..at the present time.> A country like .this shpu d be able to: prevent at airevents make do-so before , trying to deal with : it by means.of, •suranoe'.' .■;■;.. ■'■■•. „.:. ■* ' : '■ ; ' '-.S'.-- '•:'.:■';■■■.