The morning call., 1892-02-26
GERMAN wOKKINGMEN.
Some Thing, That Have Caused Them t

Some Things That Have Caused Them TO
Be Dissatisfied.
Tha. there is a growing feeling Of unrest
among the lower classes Of Germany no
careful Cbser yer can doubt Although the
Emperor has repeatedly declared that he
has resolved to lend his hand toward better
ing the condition Of the w0rkingman his
efforts do not appear to have been in all
cases crowned with success. In Germany
the exigencies of compulsory military
service require that a man should be regis
tered from the day Of his birth to that ot
his death. The Government must be able
70 lay its hand upon him at any time. A
man can accomplish no civil Bct without
producing his papers OF identity. He an
not set Up in business nor buv LAND, nor
obtain a situation. nor marry, nor get cut Of
any sCTape with The judicial authorities,
nor leave the country, without satisfying
the police who he is, where he was born
and who his parents were. A man who
begs IN the streets may be challenged by
any passeT-by 10 furnish proof of bis
identity, and if he cannot do this the police
may arrest and detain him in custody until
all his antecedents are explained.
The Pension Act,
Considerable dissatisfaction is said to
exist with the provisions Of the pension act
which went into effect little over year
ago. A correspondent, writing from Berlin
recently, in referring to this subject said:
"ln the first place, WOTkmen grumble over
the obligation Of having 70 stick stamps on
their insurance cards every week, and en-
DlOyeTs OF labor who have several scores or
hundreds Of men IN their pay also think il a
dire nuisance that they should be COM
PEELED 10 enforce the stamp-sticking and
themselves contribute as many stamps as
their men have subscribed. In great fac
tories extra clerks have had 10 be employed
solely for this stamp-stlckiHg and 10 keep the
books relating thereto. Then men are apt
20 lose their cards, or they fall into arrears
through illness or being on strike or going
abroad, aud all these irregularities involve
long visits 10 4 registration Office. with veX-
ati0us interrOgatOres. Even the workman
who simply changes his place Of residence
has TO submit himself to some form of official
cToss-examination
It's Cost TO the State.
''The State meanwhile has 10 employ 4
host Of clerks aud 10 build huge offices for
the transaction OF the Insurance business
Taking the number Of men and women who
are compelled to insure themselves. roughly
speaking, at ten millions annually, and sup
posing each to fill up four card year, the
number OF cards ia the possession Of the
Government slXty-nine years hence, when
the first ensI0ns will fall due, viii amount
to 2 76l 000.0l0. Aud these figures take no
account Of the probable increase Of popu-
Iation. Warehouses must be provided for
the storing Of these cards, and they must be
rendered fre-pToOf Moreover, as the de-
strucliOn Of a single warehouse would cause
inextricable confusion, il will become neces-
sary 10 K ep duplicate registers OF the cards
under separate roofs.
The Final Outcome.
"But this is not ALL The amount Of capt.
tai accumulated ia tie hands Of the Govern
ment during the next seventy years will be
EtupendOus, and cnce the first pensions
become payable, the Government will, if all
goes well. have to disburse about one hun
dred millions sterling year. / saw If all
goes we'll because this is a very important
factor IN the calculation. Supposing that
some national disaster occurred which rem
dered the Government unable TO face its
obligations, how would it act toward the
pensioners? Continental Governments In