WORKERS' INSURANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 13, 9 February 1909, Page 2

WORKERS' INSURANCE.

' -Mlt, GUINNESS' SCHEME. SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. lteefton, Last Night. .Mr. I 'll i!111 e-i' scheme is published. He .states tlint (the battle IV m'edical examination remained to be fought out ill the House of .Representatives, There was bound to be opposition, and the question arose as to whether clause 10 of tho Workers' Compensation Act Should lie sivept away, or clause 111, to which the employees objected. lie had devised ;i scheme of general workers' insurance, which, he held, would answer the purpose. The rates were now too high. Altogether the premiums were incommensurate with the revenue received. inking the two corporations, the t)c«a;i mid the .New Zealand, with the Government accident branch, he found that for the two years IUOU and IUO7 their revenue, less reinsurances amounted as lolluws: New /.ealand Company, .tl 1(i,207, with claims paid for the same period ±'4(1,(1711; Ocean Accident, £127,457, claims paid £17,284; leaving a surplus of revenue of £122,231. Were this devoted to the Government alone, the saving in commission, oiljee expenses, etc., would result in a benefit to the workers and might lessen the cost to the employers.

His proposal is to found u national society and accident fund, providing each worker, if incapacitated from any reason, with half the amount of his wages during the time of his incapacity, and in ease of death either XoOO, as at present, or, if (he board to lie set up considered better, 12s pe r week to the widow and -I-, for exen child, till the one married again and the other arrived at the age of I<|. Contributions should be proportionately shared by employer and employee, the hitter lieing insured for all hours of tire twenty-four and from every ailment, sickness, disease or accident, not, as now, ior working hours onl.v. The (iovcriuncni, as it would be assisted by a diminished expenditure oil charitable aid, should assist. The l'ost Office could lie made the collecting agency. Employers, instead of paying in advance, as now, to lire company, would pay a percentage on wages paid, and be empowered to deduct the workers' contribution, say ,1 fourth, from their wages. -No medical examination would oo icqnired, and no legal proceeding would be necessary. The .Worker*' Compensation Act would be repealed and this take its place. Considerable discussion took place at a meeting of local miners to which the scheme was submitted, but generally the meeting was in favour of some such, scheme. '