The Daily News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10. WORKMAN'S INSURANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81861, 10 October 1906, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10. WORKMAN'S INSURANCE.

When we have been and are engaged in endeavoring to provide for t.ic maintenance of our aged and to make pi evasion for the insurance of our workmen, erecting- homes and offe;ing inducements f«r the mass of our pei pie to enicr upon national endowment schemes, it i s interesting to vie a what other countries ar« doing and have done in the same direction. Germany, the nursery of socialism, has in vogue a compulsory insurance law guaranteeing to every person insured a weekly allowance in case of inability to work and a pension on reaching old age. During a recent sojourn in Germany, Mr A. P. O'Lean-, of New Plymouth, acquainted himself with the working of 'he Scheme, and has kindly furnished uwith some particulars of its operations. * * * *

MP. O'Learv tells us that every person irrespective of sex, class, or occupation, residing within the German Empire or employed on a German ship, who works for wages or salary, and whose earnings are less than 2000 marks per annum, mu-st lie insured on attainment of tho sixteenth birthday. The employer also is compelled by law to contribute half cf the insurance premium of every insured person who works for him. Pei sons in the above mentioned category who, on the attainment of the age of 40, arc earning- over 2000 but not more than 3000 marks (about £150) per annum may, if they wish 10 do SO. continue voluntarily to insure t'.iemse'.yes. Officials in the permanent employ of the Imperial Government, of the Governments of tnc Federal States, and of municipal corporations and teachers in publicschools and institutions are exempt from this insurance obligation. it their prospective pension is equal to the sum to which they would be cnti tlul were they insuied under the Workman'ts Insurance Law.

The premium is paid weekly, antra! i'-'s in amount with the wages earned by the person insured, lnsureis are divided into five classes : those wlic earn less than 350 marks per annum those who earn over 350 and not mori than 550 marks, those who earn ov.'i and not more than 850 marks : ihi.se who earn over SSO and not mori than 1150 maiks per annum, tat

weekly contribution being respective ly 14," 2 >. J4, 3.1, 36 pfennings (eight pfennings are approximately equal tu one penny). The obligation of payment of this c< all ibution rests with the employer, who fulfils it by purchasing a stamp and affixing it to a special card, which is supplied gratis to the employee by the Imperial Insur ance Office. The stamps, which an sold a> all post offices, are about hah tlie size cf an ordinary postage stamp, and vary in colour accoiding to inc wage clas'-t. The insuiance card bears on one side the name, the date and place of biith, and the occupation of the person insuied, and on the in side spaces for fifty-two -stamps, uhen the card is filled up, the insuied

pei son lakes to the police office of the district in which he'or she is then employed. receives an official receipt for 11. and a, new caul. During ceitifiea I ipr-s ilie week'y cniltiibution may suspended, and while men are fulfi.bni; their piijuary duties liieir con* II ibution is pa:.l by the Slate. Till-' employer has 10 pay half o, • In. weekly contribution himself, and 1- legal y "entitled 10 deduct the othei Irjit 1 fi.lll 111 e wages to pay to his <lll- - yee. linpenal in uiuncc oifiei.t l -- ni.t\ 111 anv time deni.ind to see the tmployees insuiance cauls, and vci> heavy lines are impost d if lite employer has neglected \to fix the weekly atamps. iwery insured person i entitled to a pensiun 011 attaining ihe aye of seventy, provided his or her premium has ];een paid for uoo weeks, special interim arrangements being made for ih'.se person* who reach the age before they could hav l made the required number of contributions since the law came into force. The pension, which is granted for lite, whether the recipient is capable of fur-th'-i work or net, amounts in wages class j, to Oo mark'-; in class 2, to tj:> marks; in class 3, to 1:0 marks; 111 class 4. to 150 marks; and ii] das-. 5, to 180 marks per annum. Eaih pension paid by the Imperial Insurance Office is supplemented by an annual grant of 50 m:|iks from the Imperial Overnjnent, so I hat a person lrom whom a contribution of 14 pfennings per week has been made for at least 1200 weeks has enjoyed the privilege during the whole of this time 0! to a State sick benefit Hind, and from )hr age of seventy r--c L 'i,\"e jlO marks ;pe;r annum until death. A person whose contribution was 36 pfenning's per week thep receives marks per annum (about £, per month). The pension is not groat, but it shields the aged worker i'lem absolute penury, and will be increased as the capital funds of the Insurance Office grow, * # * *

The Imperial Insurance Office re turns one half of the amount contributed in Ihe form »f weekly premiums |pn>v:dcd at least ;oo of the Jailer have been paid) lo a fem.a'e insurer on her marriage, to the widow uf a deceased male insurer, or, if there are any, to his l.'gitimate.chiklren under fifteen years of age, to the fatherless children (legitimate or illegitimate) under fifteen years of age, of a deceased fci,,a].> insurer, and in a few other special cases. pining the year 1904, the Impeiial' Insurance Oilice received in Ihe form of insurers' weekly contributions the sum of /•7jO<Js-tiij ; in the same period £(1, •W'ujiti was paid to instuers during tit: time they were incapacitated front earning their living and as old-age pensions was .£1,044,140, which includes .he 50 marks added to each pension by t)ie Slate. The pensions are paid monthly, tlipiligh the I'osi Oilice. The State insurance vhrme is .''dmini-tered by the Imperial Insurance Office, v.'h'-ek is under the dill'M i.onirn! "f the Secretary of Jjtate 1 ■'* lnicinai A11.,i j Subject to ini.s eeniral cilice ;ip' foiu "insurance fnst iutcs," which conduct the actual in 'tirance business in the fortv districts into which the Kmpiie is (i:vidcfl. The accumulated funds ol all these tony "Insurance Institutes" amounted on iJeceijibey- ( >l, 1,4, ,(50.5:0.910. which is iny.sted ill absolutely safe securities and loans. The number of persons insure:! in the -I.He insurances i n |.ll uu.r., 1904, was no less than 1;,,400,coo.