STATE PROVIDENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 525, 4 June 1909, Page 5

STATE PROVIDENCE.

ASSISTED INSURANCE. ' ATTITUDE OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. . FAVOURABLE COMMENTS. IM MlldttAra-MISSS ASSOUIATIfiN-COPTHInnT.! London, Juno 2. Thd Conforonco of tho Nottingham Unity 'of .Oddfellows welcomed; tho prinoiplo of State insurance against invalidity and sickncss, and deprccatod follow sociotics passing hostilo resolutions in the absenco of details of tlio scheme. . / ■ • Tho President of tho Hearts of Oak Society also deprccated. attacks on tho Government proposals. < Ho believed that the 300,000 mombors of;this order warmly support tiio idea.' 1 . Speakers' at tho Conference of the Ancient Order of Shepherds now, being; held: at Worcester expressed similar views.. GERMAN SYSTEM. /MB. LLOYD-GEORGE'S REDUCTIONS. The friendly society opinions cabled- to-day are counterblast to the opinion which found expression the; day before-at a conforenco'of Oddfellows (Manchester Unity) at Bradford, where the Grand Master "protested against any attempt being, made to establish a State-aided, 1 compulsory; form of competition with the voluntary ; thrift: movement. . The ■ of the •Chancellor of. the Exchequer (Mr. LloydGeorge) is, -of course,' that tho Government scheme ■< of '.-/sickness and;'invalidity /insurance will •be a : supplement to and not an interferonco with the' work :of the /friendly societies.'./Lastvyear Mr. Lloyd-George ' went to Berlin to 6tudyj the German 'system of pensions for the : aged; and the incapacitated.' Britain' has made a small-start with a non-contribiiterj old ago pension to a certain, number of septuagenarian.v alld it, has been, frequently predicted" that Mr. Lloyd-George will-graft on to. this a- eompulsory and contributory tysiom for invalidity, and 'siolniess..:, Some idea, of what is in his mind may bo gathered from the following temarks'inade by him after, his return from Germany: •• - •-/, Some/Hugs Figures. "What a gigantio schome is theirs compared with , ours I : Hdve you any idea how .muoh .is distributed .'in ipensions' - every jrear ? . Thirtyfour, million poundß_ sterling! Think what that means-v811,000,000.' in sick vpayt-of which the working; classes contribute, two-thirds and : the employers'one-third; iCH,OOO,OOO in ipensions to the aged i and incapacitated, irrespective; of age —of lvhich .masters .'and . men - contribute an equal : share i < and ■ £9,000,000 as compensation 'for. accidents—which ■ employers alone , have to pay ■ , i - "And >to; this annual snm of / the State . bontribiites. only/ the .cost'.of administration—a sum of .£2,600,000. :,; ■; , -"Butvthis though it. appeara— is;'not to teniain undeveloped. .'Very soon it will b'e increased by .the addition' of ; i£5,000,000 ' for .' clerks,'/who s -do,' not benefit Sunder/ the .existing, arrangement, ; and jei2,000,000 in. pensions to widows and orphans—one ' half from, the contributions' of 'the working - classes and ono half -from employers. This; dovelopment will increase tho State * contribution to £5,000,000 a year—a sum that doubtless will exceed the cost of administration. . ,'.'Ronlember, the;.German/scheme'is-not,.only contributory,., but compulsory—oven bachelors ;cannt)t escape responsibility, for'' the ■ wid6ws and orphans." ;,, /:•;' •• Private Thrift Not Killed. "Tho average benefit is,, however, very small /—about/'three shillings .'.and sixpence a week. Our people, of course, could not' be :contcnt with so insignificant a sum. But I-find that in Germany this State obligation / does not kill private effort and thrift.'• Tho better class of workmen , aro naturally not satisfied with this provision, and mako efforts of thoir own. Tho metal workers, for example, have a • tary'i organisation, that,, supplements^the' State pehsioiiVwith<jinother„ seven .shillings, avwtjek. - '. . "The. German,- system,onibraces every/ phase and' working;,man's;life.eave.want of employment): Ih -one >. or, •• two-f dities '-'An -• at« t«ntpt has . been made to meet even .-this .con- . tiflgenby,"but % it is 'not general, and forme na 'part,of ./tho,,compulsory, scheme.TN.B.'-The British; Government's, gard.v.to'.-lahonr -exchanges''aim .-at. tho .allevia-' tion of unemployment.] ( . .'/V;/*, 1 1 "Aro,;the .people content .with- this,;,system Of!compulsory provision for th'o/years and accidents of.life?, Certainly they are.- Even the Socialists, are. Satisfied. The Cnly criticisms I heard: had, reference : to.,,details.' - They..'.want inoro -nieney .Bpfent: on the',Worki , mall; pays,, td'entef a hbspital' ; 6r/ a' sanatorihm! they; ask .iils6 : ;that . some'.'provisioti 'should be niade for the '.wives and, families of men: iii the.w.sanatoria. i Then, they/think money/might WeU spent, on. lecture?, and . literature, informing the ,people on , the' nature, of '.diseases, and.tho. dangers of: alcohol.. This is the sort' 6f Cfiticisttr: yoii' hear frbm \ th'e , wildest' Socialists in-Germany. : ■' Joint Action of Masters and Men. . ' / "A'. verj,-,:tiseful , purpose -is served by,.' the - meeting of employers ahd irten to manage these funds; though tho -men desire to have' their ■ s4? ; -'difj the, principles as / Well;,as /the' details. This joint.&6tio&;ifl most beneficial. , '' '- -./ "Could such a system be iadopted'-in'Great •BritainP '/Well, We; must first have' agreement among all parties—including the Soc/lali'sts, who, in Our country, look to-the State more than;the /German Socialists. .One thing, too, I imagine, ;could > • hot be introduced,' here,', and that is 'the .division' of tho working classes into five Sections for the purpose .'of fixing the amount'of their contributions. . : . "We have .made a beginning—and that is something. . G,e(many.;.started ; in .1891, and has made/ great .advance, Bismarck was indeed a great man.': He made Germany."