H.—3o.

6. GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS. (Applicable to both pension and health-insurance schemes.) There might also be a " general approved society " conducted by the Board, and every person who, unless excluded, had not become a member of any other " approved society " within, say, six months might be deemed to be a member of the " general approved society." To simplify administration, there should be as few members as possible in the general society; it would be desirable to have every member linked up through some local society. There might be an allowance of so much per member to approved societies for administration purposes, and this allowance would be provided out of the National Insurance Fund. Members would hand in their cards to approved societies half-yearly, and the societies would forward these in bulk to central offices. The total amount would be credited to the societies, and half the amount remitted to them to invest in trustee securities as they thought fit. The societies should be subject to Government audit and assets valued quinquennially. Three-quarters of any surplus might be distributed to members by societies as extra benefits. Provision might be made for societies showing a deficit by pooling one-quarter of surpluses of societies showing a surplus. The societies themselves should make good any deficiency in administration expenditure. Provision should be made for members of Friendly Societies and similar bodies to contribute for restricted benefits in cases where these societies already provide part of the benefits under the scheme. Special provisions should be made for naval and military personnel, war pensioners, and also for seamen and persons engaged in seasonal occupations. Payments under workers' compensation would replace invalidity and/or sickness benefit in certain cases. Arrangements should be made for reciprocity within the Empire. All receipts and declarations in connection with the scheme should be exempt from stamp duty. The total sickness or invalidity payments from all sources should not exceed £3 per week. The benefits under the scheme should not be assignableProvision would require to be made for penalties for false statements, &c. In respect of any benefit payable to any contributor, the Board should have power to pay the said benefit to the contributor, or to his duly authorized appointee, or to expend it for the upkeep of the contributor's family. SUMMARY. Patit I. —National Compulsory Superannuation. (1) It is considered that a national compulsory insurance scheme is desirable in the social interest. (Page 3 of report.) (2) The benefits in a full scheme might cover (a) Superannuation, (b) widows' pensions, (c) orphans' allowance, (d) sickness and invalidity allowances, (e) children's allowance during incapacity of the wage-earner, (/) maternity benefits. (Page 4 of report.) (3) Unemployment insurance should be considered separately, and any scheme for unemployment insurance should be distinct from a national compulsory insurance scheme. (Page 3 of report.) (4) The scale of benefits on which calculations are based are those set out on page 4 of the report. No scale of maternity benefits is included, because the Committee has not been in a position to make a satisfactory actuarial estimate of cost.

10