INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE

Otago Witness, Issue 2983, 17 May 1911, Page 31

INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE

MR LLOYD GEORGE'S SCHEME, LONDON, May 8. In the course of an interview regarding emigrants and immigrants, Mr Lloyd George said he had made special provision for a mutual insurance arrangement with the Dominions. Great Britain would give the dominions all the advantages they were willing to concede to England. May 9'The public have ordered 40,C00 copies of the Invalidity Insurance Bill. The text of the National Insurance Bill has been issued. It covers 78 pages. Severe punishment is made to meet cases of false representation. May 10. The Invalidity Insurance Bill, which is now called the National Insurance Bill, makes it clear that anybody may voluntarily contribute to provide an income derived from a definite occupation. . A remarkable provision in the National Insurance Bill is that if the friendly societies allege excessive illness of members owing to the conditions of employment in certain trades, shops, or factories, they are to be entitled to demand an inquiry, and if it is proved that the sickness oyer a period of three years is 10 per cent, above the average expectation of illness, then the employers must recoup the societies for the extra expense. May 11.

Under a memorandum explaining the unemployment scheme, the definition of a "workman" in the compulsory section includes foremen, clerks, and parsons under 18 years of age. Workmen who are repeatedly unemployed owing to their lack of skill may be required to attend a course of technical instruction, and an association giving unemployment benefits is .to receive a Government subsidy of one-sixth of the amount up to 12s so expended.

One million one hundred thousand who are employed in the engineering trade, and 1,321,000 in the building trades come under the compulsory scheme. The unemployment section of the National Insurance Bill allows workmen over 50 to draw the excess of their premiums over theiT benefits received, with compound interest at 2£ per cent. The Government also is empowered to refund employers their contributions on behalf of workmen who are unable to pay during times of depression and owing to systematic short time. May 15. At the general meeting of the National Deposit Friendly Society the chairman said he regretted that national insurance was not voluntary. He doubted if the bill would be the panacea for sickness and poverty which Mr Lloyd George suggested.

Mr George Davis, in his presidential address to the Southern Conference of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, said he saw in the bill the possibility of State interference which might mean the undoing of a century's work. If the friendly societies were safeguarded the Oddfellows would support Mr juloyd George.

The Council of the Social Democratic party resolved that, while supporting the principle of national' insurance, Mr Lloyd George's measure would make the working class bear the burden of ameliorating some of the worst results of the capitalistic system instead of saddling the cost on the master class. The unemployment clauses were considered inadequate. BERLIN, May 13.

The Reichstag is debating an Insurance Consolidated Bill dealing with the sick funds administration. All the Socialists' amendments were rejected, and the Reichstag has maintained the present system, whereby the workers contribute twothirds and the masters one-third of the fund, despite the Government's efforts to equalise the contributions. - THE HAGUE, May 14.

The Dutch Government has introduced an invalidity assurance scheme for workmen earning under £IOO per annum. The premiums range from 4d to lOd a week, employers and workmen each paying onehalf. All septuagenarians are to receive pensions. MELBOURNE, May 10. Commenting on the question of a mutual insurance arrangement between Great Britain and the Dominions, Mr Hughes said it would be difficult to frame an opinion without full details," but, speaking generally, reciprocity in itself was most excellent, and an indication of the tendency of modern civilisation. Mr Lloyd George's idea was a good one, but it would be a one-sided reciprocity, because not half of one per cent, of Australians would go to England to take ad-