THE INSURANCE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1194, 1 August 1911, Page 5

THE INSURANCE BILL.

9 LABOUR CONDEMNATION. By Telccranh-Frcss Association-Copyriehi London, July 30. At a meeting held under the auspices of tho Independent Labour party and liio Fabian Society it was resolved to demand the withdrawal of Hie National Insurance Bill. Mr. Philip Snowd?n, Labour member for Blackburn, said the liill was meagre, pettifogging, and ineffective. If Mr. Lloyd-George was unwilling to add a penny to the hurtle. , .! of taxation, it was evident that the Socialists and the Social Reformers must par! company. Mr. Georgj Lansbury, Labour member for Bow and Bromley, said Mr. LloydGeorge professed to love Hie people, while at the same time he was tumbling over himself to save the pockets of the rich. VIGOROUS DENUNCIATION. (Rec. July 31, 9.50 p.m.) London, July 31. Mr. Victor Grayson, the Socialist leader, in a .speech at Bradford said the National Insurance Bill would smash tho Friendly Societies, destroy the trades unions, and reduce tho workers to the position of national vassals. He did not think a more dangerous Bill iiad been introduced in the last fifty years. FINANCE OF THE SCHEME. "When tne scneine is luny developed," says "me limes." in revie.nn,; i\ir. muiu-iii-orgcs -Uisurunco uiii, "lue luximjiio' I'outi'juudons will cover turec-lciiuis or die ijfusiou and lieauu insurance, wiiilo Hie otner seveu-tentns mi iiu Uorue ijy tno persons insured ami tueir employer*. Tins includes tne old ayo pension, lor, as tne Cmuiceuor o: tue ±Acneu.uer lias taid, it loruis part ol tue taxpayers' contriuution. it is equivalent to ti lurtlier premium of nuouc id. per ween starting How thu earliest age wlien premiums lune lo be paid. Thus, in tho ca.-.o ot 'employed' men, ihe SStato and tlio employers are eacli to provide 3d. out ot tlio total premium of lOd., while ior women tho premium ol od. is to be divided into three equal parts. But in the ease ot wages ot 15s. a wceic or less a graduated part of the worker's ahare is to ho transferred to the employer, until at 9s. a week and under the share of the former becomes Id. in all cases

"The chargo upor. the persons insured and upon their employers is to Ijs constant; it is to bo an even tax of which tho total will vary only with the number of persons who have tc bear it. But the charge upon the taxpayers is to be governed by nn entirely different principle. Instead of advancing, evenly with the numbers who have to bear it, it is to become a far heavier tax as years go on, for it is to mount as the insurance matures, and not in proportion to the number of persons assured. 1/ is to reach a total of at least 40 per cent, higher than the combined amount payable by the persons insured and by their employers. The threetenths is to cost more than the seventenths. The new subsidy is to start at £1,712,000 in 1912-13, and to develop into an annual charge of 14 millions or more, and the old age subsidy is to advance from its present total of 13 millions to 28 millions per annum at least, so that 42 millions is the low limit for the developed subsidy."