INSURANCE BILL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 23, 21 July 1911, Page 5

INSURANCE BILL

AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. By Cable.—Press Association. —Copyright. Received 30, 8.20 p.m. London, July 20. The Board of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows resolved that Mr. LloydGeorge's refusal not to allow sick pay for the first three days of an illness was most detrimental to friendly societies, and it would possibly relinquish a desire to become an approved society under the Bill. Mr. Lloyd-George's refusal is due to a desire to prevent malingering.

THE CHANCELLOR HARASSED. THE BILL IN JEOPARDY. Received 20, 10.30 p.m. London, July 20. In the Insurance Bill debate Mr. LloydGeorge was greatly harassed by critics on the liberal and Labor benches, asking for more concessions. Mr. Lee-Smith's amendment aroused excited interest. Its aim was to relieve the contributor falling in arrears through unemployment from liability to make good his arrears of contributions, which the employee would have paid had he been working. Mr. Lee-Smith predicted that if contributors were compelled to pay arrears before reaping the benefits odium might be cast on the Bill and the Bcheme be wrecked. He contended that the State should grant £150,000. Mr. Lloyd-George said the State was unable to bear this additional burden. The proposal was impracticable, and would encourage the thriftless. Mr. Shirwell declared the Chancellor would deprive the most helpless of their due unless the amendment were accepted, and the poor and destitute would be sadly disappointed. Messrs. Cripps, W. Peel-Harwood and Rountree pressed Mr. Lloyd-George, who then proposed to compromise, namely, that friendly societies should be given the right to pay contributions which in ordinary cases were paid by employers. Mr. Ramsay McDonald strenuously opposed this, declaring the State ought to come to the unemployed contributors' assistance.

Mr. Lloyd-George refused to yield, and warned Liberals that if the amendment were carried it might mean not meTely the defeat of the Bill, but the defeat of the Government.

The amendment was negatived by 163 to 116 votes. Afterwards Mr. LloydGeorge's compromise was carried by 210 to 77.