WORKMEN'S INSURANCE IN GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 24 August 1907, Page 3

WORKMEN'S INSURANCE IN GERMANY.

Some idea of tlie extent of the operation oi tlie Uermau systems of industirul insurance against accidents and oid aye may be_gaUicred from tlie report on me work oi tlie Imperial insurance Department daring i'JOO, which lias been rtice'iily published by that ollice, J'ur tlie purpose of insuring workmen against accidents eacli member oi the industrial population coming within tlie scope of tlie law belongs to one or other oi UU trade associations. The number of workpeople insured tlirougli these in 11)05 (the last year for which ligures 011 this point are shown) was <D,itJo 3 732, while, in addition, a further 11,180,1)71 were insured through similar agricultural associations, and 857.70!) tlirougli associations for persons employed by government or provincial authorities. Tlie tola! number of workpeople insured against accidents thus amounted to over twenty millions, not including a certain number insured through institutions of a special nature operating in the building trades.

The amount paid as compensation for accidents ill 1000 is estimated at £7,145,001 (compared with £0,271,807 in the previous year), which was paid to 54,080 injured persons during the period of incapacity for work, while, following upon fatal accidents, 73,500 pensions were paid to widows, 103,504 to orphans, and 3882 to other departments of the deceased breadwinners. When the incapacity for work arises not from accident, but from old-age or long-continued illness, the persons incapacitated, provided they luive contributed to the insurance funds for a prescribed length of time, come under the provisions of the old age and invalidity insurance schema. In this case the operations of the fund are conducted, not tlirougli trade associtions, but through 31 district associations. In 10.00 the number of old-age pensions granted was 448,580, and of invalidity pensions 134,057. The premiums paid by workmen insured under this scheme amounted to close on eight and a-half million pounds, in the form of 0511,451,314 weekly contributions, while tlie amounts paid in pensions come to somewhat less. The accumulated funds of the various State insurance schemes amount to enormous sums, Unit of the old-age and invalidity funds, for instance, was nearly £07,000,000 at the close of 1000. With them loans are made at low rates of interest for the purpose of erecting workmen's dwellings, for granting agricultural credit, for building sick and convalescent homes, erecting public baths, establishing labor colonies, savings banks, and building canals, slaughter-houses, etc.