INSURANCE BILL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10292, 21 July 1911, Page 5

INSURANCE BILL

! CABLE NEWS I

United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph — Copyright.

MR LLOYD-GEORGE HARASSED.

A HOSTILE AMENDMENT

(Received Last Night, 10.40 o'clock.)

LONDON, July 20

The debate on the Insurance Bill is proceeding in the House of Commons. The Right Hon. D. Lloyd-George has been greatly harassed by critics of the measure on the Liberal and Labour benches asking for more concessions. The amendment of Mr H. B. Lees Smith, Liberal member for Northampton, has aroused an excited interest, its aim is to relieve a contributor who nwiy fall into arrears through unemployment from the liability of malting good the .arrears of contributions which the employers would have paid had he been working. Mr Lees Smith predicted that, if contributors were compelled to pay up their arrears before receiving benefits, odium, might be cast upon the Bill, and the scheme would be wrecked. He contended that a State grant-of £150,000 should be made. The Right Hon. D. Lloyd-George said that the State was unable to bear this additional burden. The proposal wa/s impracticable, and would encourage the thriftless. Mr A. J. Sherwell, Liberal member for Huddersneld, declared that the Chancellor would deprive the most helpless of their dues unless l he accepted the amendment. The pool and destitute would be sadly disappointed. ■

Messrs Cripps, W. Peel, Harwood and Rountree. pressed the amendment upon the Minister. Mr Lloyd-George thereupon proposed a compromise, namely, > that Friendly Societies should be given the right to pay .the contributions which' in -ordinary cases would be paid by the employers.-; Mr Ramsay Macdonald, Leader of the Labour Party, strenuously opposed this proposal, declaring that the State should come to the assi stance of the unemployed contributors.

Mr Lloyd-George refused to j'ield, and wanned the Liberals that if the' amendment was carried it might; mean, not merely the defeat of the Government, Irat the defeat of the Bill. The amendment was negatived by 163 votes to 116. The compromise of 'Mr LloydGeorge was then oarried .by 210 votes to 77.