WORKERS' INSURANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 164, 5 August 1909, Page 2

WORKERS' INSURANCE.

AGAINST SICKNESS AND INVALIDITY. OI'INION 01'' UKXKKJir SOCIETIES. By Cable.—l'rcss Association.—Copyrign Received August ■», 10 p.ni. London, August 4. At the uumiiil meeting of Foresters at Glusgow SUI) delegate,., ■ presenting IKX),IXX> members, wcic p...i.'iu, among them beingsever.il A.i—■ «n, lamidian and American reprcseii....ivcs. Tlie High Chiei Hunger stated Unit the High Court was prepared to iipp o * o any Government undertaking insuiaiico against siekness and invalidity in «j>position to tiie permanent friendly societies' systems. The Government could not provide benefits and achieve the same satisfactory results. Nevertheless, the High Court would hesitate to oppose wage-earners being compelled to "'sure against sickness. They learned with grave concern that the matter was not U. be referred to a Royal Commission, as the Government had resolved on legislation. ~ , ... The Oddfellows' Grand Master, shaking at a meeting of the council at New-caltle-on-Tyne, said that Mr. LloydGeorge (Chancellor of the Exchequer was enamored of the German scheme ol State insurance. It would have been tetter if he had taken the friendly societies into his confidence. He believed the proposal was fraught with danger.

INSURANCE AGAINST SICKNESS. | The feature <■ Ihe siekness scheme (says a Loudor. piper) is that it is to be worked in o-operation with tno friendlv societies, which presumably include trade unions giving similar benefits. Thus members wli" tire not in arrears will not have the weekly deductions made from their pay that non-members will suffer, while enjoying equally Hie addition of contributions from employers anil the State. At the conference in Sheffield of the Nottingham Order of Oddfellows, Mr. Gilchrist, of Manchester, gave the following details of the State insurance scheme:-

I'ivc shillings to men in sickness, whether temporary or permanent, unless receiving payments under the Workmen's Compensation Act. Re-organisation by the Government of the friendly societies that are of a permanent or well-established character. Dividing clubs will be included. Membership of a society will be extended to every worker, male or female, between sixteen and seventy.

Employers week bv week'will deduct from the wages (if tlii' worker n Film in proportion to age. fih-. Gilchrist was not able to say what those amounts would lip, bceanst lln- actual calculations had not been completed. Hut supposing >lhe sum to lie dedneted was threepence, the em plover would add one penny, and the State an amount equal to that contributed by the employer.! If the worker be. a member of a friendly society recognised by the State, the presentation to his employer of his contribution card or n receipt for contributions paid showing him not to be in arrear will exempt him from deduction*. That will not exempt the employer l>r the State from paying their share.

Xo funeral benefit is to be provided. The provision is for sickness, invalidity, and medical and special aid. and sanatoria. Members may insure for any amount larger than ."is per week, which is the minimum, but there will be no compulsion to go beyond that amount. •The State, Mr. Gilchrist added, would insist upon solvency in recognised societies, but it was not intended to start any State or opposition society. If the friendly societies carried out the scheme, as friendly society members they had nothing to fear.