This Firm Kept Its Contract

NZ Truth, Issue 968, 18 October 1924, Page 6

This Firm Kept Its Contract

- . ♦ . . %1 .• . •_.- ■ ■ ■ ; Bat Not Its Soul A Story Of Accident Insurance, A Dead Child, And A Request Refused '•.''.' _ .; ■ ' , : /"' :'■■■'.■:':, ■>■■■■.■■■:''■■:".■■ •■■■"' .■ ■ From a reliable third party "Truth" hears a stony ;,bf. accident ; insurance under the workers' compensation scheme^a'stpry that -V goes to show that, if the admiiiistrafive costsof p.riyate' insurance . : m New Zealand is high' (oyer 50 per oent.) it is hot because of any. concessions made, to- vict'ims^f .accjdents.r ':• ■; :' " ; : I:. '■'; ■ -■

A wage-earner who suffered an -ac'ci-v dent found himself, not so long ago, m receipt of .£2, 10s a week, out of which, he had to pay 15/- a week rent and keep a wife and three children/ .One".' of the children died. . The sad qffairs of interment had to be arranged by the wife, the husband being disabled, and' she found that they were £2 short of the undertaker's charge, which .they .had agreed (m return for a substantial discount) to pay on the morning of the funeral. Four days of the week having expired, the wife was sent to the office to try to secure the week's accident pay (£2 10s) m order. to cover the burial deficit. Although only

!fthree days" .vreihained before due idate^^'.anp ■^•although the bereaved mp.thier .explained the circumstances, tib't'a jpenny 'could she secure. ;^. There /was no chance of the husband 'recovering/ before the week-end, there was.rio chance' of his absconding, there was hot' the slightest doubt about the facts related. by the wife, and yet the people "yvho were responsible for paying 'this insurance money stood on the letter of- their bond. . ; The soullessness; -ipf the system is , emphasised -rby! 'the. fact that the money for. the undertaker was advanced by a work-mate' whose, purse is almost as slender as that, of; the "compensated" man.