The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-12-10 00:00:00

COMPULSORY INSURANCE IN
GERMANY.

Germany already possesses compulsory accident and
sickness insurance laws for the working classes, and
now the text has been published of the long-expecte4
measure for the insurance of workpeople of all classes
against want through old age or chronic incapacity.
This measure may be regarded as the most revoluE
tionary of all modern social measures. It applies to
some 12,000,000 persons. The object is to provide
against incapacity through old age, sickness, and acci-
dents which are not covered by the existing law. The
classes of workpeople to which the measure is at
present to apply are (a) persons who are employed
as workpeople, assistants, journeymen, appren-
tices, or servants for wages or salary ; (b) manag.
ing officials, commercial employes and apprentices,
with the assistants and apprentices of apothecaries
whose average yearly earnings do not exceed
2000 marks; (e) persons belonging to the crews of
German sea-going vessels employed for wages or
salary. The Bundesrath can, however, extend the in-
surance to independent tradesmen in the house in-
dustry. Excepted are officials of the Empire and of the
Federal Strtes, as well as officials of communal bodies
entitled to pension or in receipt of the same to the ex-
tent of 120 marks yearly. The provision to be made
for the aged and infirm will take the form of yearly
annuities, to be paid in monthly sums, in advance.
A workman who has completed his seventieth year
will be entitled to annuity whether incapacitated
or not; and a person will be regarded as incapable
who can be proved to be permanently unable to work.
Eligibility for annuity because of old age implies 30
years' contributions; and eligibility for annuity be-
cause of incapacity five years' contributions; but
exceptions can be made at the option of the insurance
autb.L.-.4ies. A year is to count 300 work days. As
to the premiums these will be paid in equal propor-
tions by the Empire, the employers, and the insured.
It will be remembered that in former insurance mea-
sures the Government introduced the same principle
of State contributions, but the Reichstag has hitherto
refused to adopt it. The amount of the contributions
is to be so fixed that the administrative costs, the re-
quisite payments to the reserve fund, and two-thirds
of the capital value of the charge falling on the
insurance establishment owing to annuities may
be covered. Each insurance district will have
uniform rates, females paying two-thirds as much as
males. The annuities to be paid to men will be 120
marks yearly in incapacity, increasing after the first
15 years of contribution four marks for every year of
contribution, the maximum being 250 marks. The
annuity for old age will be 120 marks. Females will
only receive two-thirds as much as males. The an-
nuity for incapacity will begin the day on which such
incapacity commences, and the annuity for old age
on the first day of the 71st year of the person insured.
Should persons in receipt of parish relief be eligible
for annuity, the latter will be paid to the parish giving
such relief, to long as it is continued. The organisa-
tion of this vast system of insurance is to be placed in
the hands of the bodies charged with the administra-
*ln of the Accident Insurance Law.