NATIONAL INSURANCE BILL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 30, 20 September 1911, Page 7

NATIONAL INSURANCE BILL.

l' r iHESTERS' ATTITUDE. At i;. meeting of delegates to the Higii Court of the Ancient Order o!' Foresters held at Burton (England) lust month, Mr J. Lister Stead, the permanent secretary, submitted on behalf of the executive committee the following resolution: “That this Higl Court of the Ancient Order of For esters. Friendly Society,' representing over a million insured persons, pro tests against the action of too House of Commons.in taking away -the: rigid of 11770 branches of the order to continue their own arrangements for medical services, and presses for the restoration of clause 13 to its original form; or, in alternative, requests the Government to amend the Insurance Bill so that the majority of the per sons constituting the local health com mittees shall lie the representative: of approved societies.” Mr Stead said he noticed that Mr Lloyd George, o:. August 4th, in reviewing the progress of the Bill, said that the great difficulty was the medical profession, and went on to say that lie thought it could be said that that had been substantially mot in the course of the last few days by amendments which had been carried and incorporated in the Bill. That was a one-sided statement. Under clause 13 friendly societies were not to ho intorferred with in regard to their medical benefit. They were to be given the option of continuing their present arrangements or, if they washed, of making arrangements for their medical benefit through the local health, committee, fn one respect the House of Commons had met one of the difficulties in connection with medical benefits. Ho referred to the;amendment accepted by the Chancellor in regard to''medical aid which would’ bo accepted with regard to medical benefit subject—and this was rather iratire 'fiaiffitidii of the local health committee and the Insurance Commissioners. During the election they were assured of the -support of members of Earliament, who were told that the matter was of vital ijmportar.ee to friendly societies of the country. They wore told by the Chastce-llcr when State insurance was mooted that nothing should he done to interfere with the self-m an agenjeut of friendly societies, and if was dp.that, basis he (Mr Stead) encouraged the members to consider this question and not to form a hasty conclusionbut he came to a point when lie had to say “Hands off.” (Cheers.) As to the charge against- the Foresters of sweating, lie declared that many doctors sweated their own assistants. The Bill should bo strengthened so that the men appointed to do the work should do the work. (Cheers.)