NATIONAL INSURANCE BILL

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13433, 21 July 1911, Page 5

NATIONAL INSURANCE BILL

ODDFELLOWS AND SICK PAY. Press Association.—Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON,'JuIy 20. The Board of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows has resolved that the Right Hon. L.oyd George’s refusal not to allow sick pay for the first three clays’ illness will prove most detrimental to friendly societies, and possible result in their relinquishing their desire to become an approved society under the Bill. Mr. Lloyd George’s refusal is due to a desire to prevent malingering. DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. Liberal and Labour Criticism. LONDON, July 20. In the Insurance debate, Mr Lloyd George was greatly harassed by critics on the Liberal and Labour benches asking for more concessions. Mr Lee Smith’s amendment aroused excited interest, its aim being to relieve a contributor who might be falling into arrears through unemployment from liability to make good the arrears of his contributions which his employers would have paid had he been working. Mr Lee Smith predicted that if contributors were compelled to pay arrears under these circumstances odium might be cast on the Bill, and the scheme wrecked. He contended that a State grant of .£ 150,000 ought to be made. Mr Lloyd George sajd the State was unable to bear this additional burden. The proposal was imnracticable, and would encourage the thriftless. Mr Sherwell declared that the Chancellor deprived the most - helpless of their due. Unless the amendment was accepted the poor and destitute would bo sadly disappointed. Messrs Cripps, W. Peel, Harwood, and Rountree pressed the amendment, and Mr Lloyd George then proposed a compromise—namely, the friendly societies should be given the right to pay contributions which in ordinary cases would be paid by employers. Mr Ramsay Mac Donald strenuously opposed this, declaring that the State ought to come to unemployed contributors' assistance. Mr Lloyd George re_fuscd to yield, and warned the Liberals that if the amendment were carried it might mean not merely the defeat of the Government, hut the defeat of the Bill. The amendment was negatived, the voting being 163 to 116. Afterwards Mr. Llovd George’s compromise, was carried by 210 to 77. AN ALL-NICKT SITTING. Received July 21, 9.25 a.m. LONDON, July 20. An all-night sitting on the National Insurance Bill took place over clause 11, the Labour members demanding sick pay for workmen in additnon to accident compensation. Mr Lloyd George, in an impassioned speech, secured its rejection by 99 to 23.