NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1194, 1 August 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

A carle message this morning conveys the news that Mit. LloydGeorge's .National Assurance Bill has not found favour with a section of the Labour party. According to the renort to hand a public meeting, held under the auspices of tho Independent Labour party and the Fabian Society, has demanded the withdrawal of the Bill which Mr. Philip Snowden declares to be. "meagre, pettifogging and ineffective.'. Another equally free-spoken Labour M.P., Mr. George Lansbury was unkind enough to express the opinion that while Mr. LloydGeorgr professed to love the people, ho was "tumbling over himself" to save the pockets of the rich. This is very amusing. Mr. Lloyd-George's Assurance Bill is a measure in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer has gone out of his way to throw on the taxpayer and the employer of labour the lion's share of responsibility for financing a scheme designed to benefit the employee. The financial aspect of the scheme was analysed in a special article published in the. London Times about the middle of June and the manner in which the burdens imposed under it are distributed was clearly explained. When the scheme is fully developed, the writer pointed out, the taxpayers' contributions will cover three-tenths of the pension and health insurance which the Bill provides for employees, while the remaining seven-tenths will be borne by the persons insured and their employers. In the case of "employed" men the State and the employer will each provide !id. and the employee 4d. out of the total premium of lOd. In the ease of women the premium of Od. is to be divided into three

■ uial parts. Where the wages arc ]ss. a we'ek ov loss, however, a graduated part of the workers' share of the premium is to be transferred to the shoulders of the employer until at" 9a. a week and under the contribution of the employee becomes Id. in all cases. This is how Mn. LmjydGeouof. "tumbles over himself" to protect the- pockets of the rich. The taxpayer and the employer—who presumably are the rich—between-thorn contribute something like two-thirds of the cost of the insurance scheme the benefits of which go entirely to the employees. The real objection to the financing of the scheme, «ip»-rt fioin the question of sharing-of the cost, appears to be the manner in which the taxpayer's liability increases as the years go on. While the charge upon the persons insured and upon the employers remains constant the charge on the taxpayers goes on increasing until it reaches a total at least 40 per cent higher than the combined amount payable by the persons insured and their employers. The new subsidy paid by tha taxpayers is to start at £1,742,000 in 1912-13 and to develop into an annual charge of 14 millions or more. Like Sib Joseph Ward's Sinking Funds scheme the chief burden is left to posterity.

A correspondent has brought to j our notice an article in the School Journal for June that seems to have some bearing upon that troublesome question, "the teaching of history." It tells "How King George will be crowned," and gives in detail an account of "a scene which breaks for a short time the solemnity of the proceedings." This is nothing loss than the intrusion of "the Treasurer of the King's Household," who provides an interlude by throwing Coronation medals all over the AhU.y. ''A groat scramble ensues," and all the dignitaries—"high-born lords and ladies, dignified statesmen, generals, stately dowagers and learned judges"—"tumble over one another and fight fiercely" for the souvenirs, even r 'diving under benches" in their ardour. Perhaps it does no harm to the rising generation to fancy that this genial and hearty performance takes place, but- we imagined that the School Journal aims at giving accurate information when it gives information at all. Mi:. FowiiDS's young men seem to have got a little out of hand in their excitement.

The Prohibition party would seem to have at last come out into the open as a political force. If the news from (Jhristchurch is correct they have invited the Kev. L. M. Isitt to contest the vacant Ohristcburch North seat in the interests of the Prohibition party, and Mr. Isitt has consented. Up to the present the New Zealand Alliance has restricted itself to nominating Parliamentary candidates only where necessary to ensure a poll for local option purposes. The late Mr. T. E. Taylor, though an ardent _ Prohibitionist, was not a Prohibitionist nominee. Mn. Isitt, we imagine, will bo likely to enter the lists as an Independent, probably with Government leanings. His association with Mr. Taylor will no doubt assist his candidature, for he possesses very considerable powers as a platform speaker and has a quite remarkable gift of appealing to the emotions of an audience. Whether !i2 would prove as successful in Parliament is quite another matter. Mr. J. I). Haix, the Opposition candidate, is a son of Sin John Hmx. His chances of success will depend a great deal on whether the election i<; fought on political or sentimental grounds.

Our comments of yesterday concerning the modest reticence of Ministers respecting the sheat of Oornnntion honours which fell to their lot, would seem to lie answered. New Zealand's opinion has already been blazoned forth lo the world. The English mail which arrived hovo last evening brought the Standard of Empire., of -Inno 2:), which contains a cable message from its >!ew Zea-

1:ukI correspondent depicting the state of joy into which the people of the Dominion were thrown on learning the, great and glad news of (be baronetcy it had won and the. knighthoods its Ministers had earned. The veracious cable-sender informs the people uf Great, Britain lhat "groat gratification" was expressed hero, at. 'the "wi'll-drsorvcd"' honours bestowed, "particular pleasure," being felt, at the bestowal of a baronetcy upon fin: Jokkph Ward. lint it would be a pity to rob the public of Ne-,v Zealand of f,hp full text of this delightful message: (ileal srniilira'iinn (lhi> mc>=:i',:e ran) is expressed hern lit Iho wdUk.-erved honours which have been conferred upon New /io:ilaiidvi'£. The Dominion has received her lull nhare of dignities—one biirce.eley, four kuif;MlK)O(l.s and two companionships of the Order of St. Michael and Si. George fnlliujf to her 101. Particular pleasure is felt at the bestowal of ;\ baronetcy upon Sir Joseph Ward, splendid work on behalf of Umpire and the. Dominion has thus received its duo reward. Dr. Findlay and Mr. Carroll, who have become K.C.M.G.s, arc bath exceedingly popular and capable Ministers. It is quite fitting, of course, that the correspondent of the Standard of Empire should have omitted any direct reference to the honours bestowed upon Sin Joshua Williams and Sin \Arthur Guinness. The '•particular pleasure" felt by Mn. POOLK and his friends at the bestowal of an hereditary title on Sir Joseph Ward is probably only equalled by "the great gratification" which members of both Houses have expressed at the "wcll-deserv-e.d" honour bestowed on that, "popular" Minister, Sir John Findlay. It is possible, we fear, that the enthusiasm of thfl correspondent of the, Slaiuhird of Empire may have led Sir Joseph Ward and Sir John Findlay to look forward to a reception on their return which the public will find it difficult to live up to.