NATIONAL INSURANCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 41, 10 August 1911, Page 5

NATIONAL INSURANCE

THE BRITISH BILL. DRASTIC AMENDMENTS WANTED. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright, London, August 8. At the annual gathering of the Foresters and Rechabit'es, the presidential addresses emphasised the necessity of drastic amendments to the National Insurance Bill.

Mr. Lloyd-George's. measure for insurance oE workmen against sickness, and insurance of workmen against unemployment is naturally complicated, but we give below, in barest outline, its provisions. The Labor party has since denounced the measure, and demands radical modification. It may be mentioned that the Chancellor's speech explaining the Bill at. the Birmingham Town Hall lasted over V-/. hours. First, on the sickness side. All workers who receive a weekly wage or whose earnings come below the income tax limit (£1(50 a year) are compelled to contribute 4d week; their employers are required to contribute 3d a week per workman; while the State contributes 2d a week "per workman. From the funds bo accumulated the workman is to receive, in case of sickness, benefits of the following kinds—the free services of a competent doctor, and an allowance of 10s a wepk for a maximum period of three, months, and then of as a week for an additional three months, if necessary. In the case of workers the allowance will be 7s Cd a week for three months, and os a week for the second three months, with an allowance of 30s in maternity cases, provided the mother does not return to work for four weeks. In addition, assistance will be given to local authorities and charities for the building of tuberculosis sanatoriums, and for this purpose a sum of .C 1,500,000 will be set aside, and there will be £1,000,000 for maintaining them. The, contributions nre to be collected through the post office by stamps affixed to cards—the employer supplying the stamps both for the workman and for himself, deducting the value of the workman's stamps from his weekly wages—and the benefits distributed through approved benefit societies, or in the case of certain workers directly through the post office. The Chancellor estimates that the contributions from workmen and employers will amount in the first year to £20,000,000, while the Government's contri- j bution will be about £1,700,000, which will be increased in 1015 to £4,600,000. These figures do not exactly correspond with the proportionate contributions from the three sources, but we quote them as given by the Chancellor. The second part of the plan, unemployment insurance, is to apply only to the building and engineering trades, which, according to Mr. Lloyd-George, are liable to considerable fluctuations. It is proposed that the workman shall contribute 2Vsd a week, the employer a week for each workman, and the Government one-fourth of the total cost. In the engineering trade benefits amounting to 7s a week, and rising to a maximum of 14g a week, are to be paid in case of unemployment not brought about through the misconduct of the workman or through a strike or lockout. Mr. LloydGeorge does not state, what the benefits will be in the building trades. The State's contribution to the funds for this part of the scheme will amount, in the Chancellor's estimate, to nearly £BOO.OOO for the first year. The measure, it is estimated, will affect about IS,000,(100 persons, and will, in Mr. Lloyd-George's words, insure them "against the acute distress which now darkens the homes of workmen whenever there is sickness and unemployment."