INSURANCE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1306, 8 December 1911, Page 5

INSURANCE BILL.

SUPPORTED BY LABOUR. MR. LLOYD-GEORGE'S DEFENCE. FALSE WITNESS AGAINST GOVERNMENT. By ToleeriDh—Presß Association—OoDjright (Hoc. December 10.15 p.m.) London, December 7. Mr. Henry W. Forster (Unionist) was emphatic in his statement that his amendment was not intended to wreck the Bill inasmuch as his supporters approved national insurance, but eighteen new clauses passed in a single night under the' guillotine did.not allow of adequate discussion. Mr. Ramsay Macdonald said the choice now was no legislation or legislation which was only partially satisfactory. He did not doubt but that the trades unions believed that the lower ranks were unable to pay both the insurance and union contributions. Nevertheless, tho Bill would compel the Legislature to face the problems which it would not otherwise have faced, and therefore he would vote for it despite its admitted faults.

Mr. Lloyd-George said the amendment was a shifty 'method of destroying tho measure. If there were any mistakes they were remediable on reconsideration. To pass the . amendment would involve the sacrifice of eight months' labour and matters have been arranged with the Friendly Societies, and although he had no confirmation he believed the doctors were satisfied. Ho contended it would be impossible to meet the demands otherwise than as proposed. He reminded the Opposition that tho Government might have adopted the compulsory, noncontributory system and added significantly that ho could have'found tho requisite money, and the income tax afterwards would not have been as high as in Berlin today. 1 (Cheers.) He. strenuously argued ihat the Government ' accepted the principle of contributions advocated by their opponents and therefore .were entitled to protection against misrepresentation at by-election 9. Amid excitement he accused Lord Hobert Cecil of being a false witness against the .Government in an election leaflet. r " M? Forster's amendment was: That while approving tho 'objects of insurance, the Houso is of opinion that under Part X, Public Funds, individual contributions would not bo used to the best advantage, the Bill was unequal in its operation, and steps should be taken to enable further consideration to be given Part X in 1912 i and that a draft ol the regulations should in the meanwhile bo published. FRESH DIFFICULTIES. London, December 6. Fresh difficulties with the doctors regarding the National Insurance Bill have arisen owing to' Dr. J. Smith T/hitaker, the Medical Association's secretary, accepting the deputy-chairmanship of the Insurance Commission. The dissentients fear that Dr. Whitaker's acceptance of the office commits'tho doctors to the Bill.

THE BILL PASSED. (lice. December 7, 11.25 p.m.) London, December 7. , Tho tod reading of the Bill was earned by 324 votes to 21. . (Eeo. December 8,. 0.15 a.m.) .^)Landan f ,])ecember..' 7, Lord Eobert Cecil replied to the statements of Mr.Lloyd-George, and, 6aid it was absolutely true that Mr, ■ Bonar Law has said that the Opposition intended' voting against tbe amendment but be would not participate further in the division, leaving the Government the responsibility of'a fortnight-scheme before it waß properly discussed. He blamed Mr. LloydGeorge |of becoming in conduct in a measure the bitterest partisan. The charges of misrepresentation were more •scandalous than any Minister had. ever made, and concluded by declaring that the interests of millions of people were being thrust aside to enable the Government in 1912 to redeem the bond entered into with the Nationalists.

The Prime Minister,- Mr. Asquith, in reply, taunted the Opposition with pusillanimity in not" moving the rejection of the Bill, and commented scornfully on the Tory lip-service in the cause of national insurance, and yet all voting to Mil a vast scheme of social reform. /' The amendment was negatived by 320 to 223. ' Mr. Snowden, Mr. lansbury, and Mr. O'Grady, favouring a non-contributory scheme, challenged a division on the Bill. The minority consisted .of three Labourites, seven O'Brienites, and eleven Unionists. The rest of the Unionists abstained from voting. The Prime Minister, in reply to Mr. 0 Brien, said that it was. necessary for the Government to use all Constitutional means to pass Home Rule within the life time of the present Parliament. (Nationalist cheers.)