Evening journal., 1894-08-28
How to Prevent suffering Among Wage
Farmers

The societies of laboring men in thii
country have failed In securing 10 theii
members any adequate provision against
the continge ncles brought about by bust
ness depressions, or the failure Of worl
from any and all causes. Some peopl,
think If they had paid more attention Il
this subject and less to inauguratinl
strikes. they would have been doing much
more for the benefit Of their members
Be this as 1t may, 1t must DO apparent tc
All that an assurance against want is the
thing Of all others the most needed By
the wage-esrners OF the country.
An experiment is being made In dealing
with the unemployed problem In Berne,
Switzerland, and as It affords practical
demonstration Of what can be done in
this direction, il cannot but be Of much
Interest to all who are striving to ameli.
crate the condition of our own laboring
classes In 1892 commission organized
at the Swiss capital for the purpose
named became convinced that perma-
nent organization was desirable, and In
consequences of their recommendation a
LABOR information bureau was established
by the municipal authorities. In connee.
tion with this mutual aid insurance
association was started under the control
Of committee OF seven.
This committee consists Of three
members Of the municipal council, two
representatives Of the employers union
and two members from the local lab or
unions. This would seem to be fair
division Of the committee when we
consider that those who represent the
municipality can be depended upon TO
look out for the interests Of both
employers and employees. The member
ship fee put at only eight cents per
month, while the city pays five thousand
francs per year and the employers union
and the public at large are looked to
for further contributions.
Only those out OF employment.
through no fault Of their own. are
subject to benefit while those who
willfully leave their work are debarred.
The headquarters. which are well
heated and provided with newspapers.
benches and tables, are open only
through the three winter months, en-
ployment being comparatively easy to
obtain at other times Benefits are paid
weekly aud members accepted work
promptly when it was provided for
them.
Our consul at Zurich. Mr.. Eugene Cor.
main, reports that the results are very
satisfactory to the authorities and citi.
zens The small scale upon which the
system is organized is due to the fact
that the Swiss capital has a character
similar to that of our National capital
being without extensive manufacturing
interests, and the work of the govern
ment In its various branches furnishes
the leading occupations for the inhabi
tants who number about City thousand.
system Of insurance against idleness Ii
also under consideration in Brussels.
II appears to us that with some modi.
fcatlons this Swiss system Of insurance
against enforced idleness could be mad,
available in this country. The fact that
all the parties Interested are brought
together In common effort, TO assist
those who are temporarily out Of employ
ment, strikes us as a very desirable feat
ure. In this country such organization
have failed in gaining the sympath,
from the general public that they woul,
have done. because they have been de
voted more to certain trade interests thar
they have been 10 the purposes for whlcl
they@were ostsnsibly formed. This. an,
the influence Of ambitious lead ers VIII
use them as stepping stones for thei
own personal interests, have made ther
N many case useless for the purpose 70
which they were formed. Aud Will
remembering this, we can take Iesso
from this Swiss scheme whose orpaniza
tion prevents the possibility OF fallur
from the causes we have named