Hutchinson gazette., 1900-08-30
INSURANCE EXPERIMENTS,

Two experiments OF notable sociol-
oglcal lntere8t are being carried on III
Europe to day, one In France, the other
In Germany. The French, with char
acterIstIc thrift, propose to teach their
school children economy by instituting
"A system of savings tor old Oge pensions
The German government for several
years has enforced compulsory work
ingme Is insurance law,
Each school child In France ls en-
courage d TO deposit &c Il week with
the government, Half Of the
amount thus accumulated is to 20 to
an old age pension fund; the rest IL
available as an insurance against SICK
ness, The pension fund Is invested IN
rnmeDt bonds paying 81 per cent
interest and each year the state adds u
franc l20c) to the account OF every
child who has contributed regularly to
the investment, On one franc deposted d
by child when hb Is years old, 1t Is
calculated that the deposilor can draw
14lc a y ear at the age Of liity'live, by
LARGE deposits the amount Of the pen
sion may be increased TO q limit OF
800 so annually. This Is rot a large
annuity, to be sure, but frugal French
couple could make Sl30 year provide
q comfortable living None of the
fund 10 available fortbe deposltor until
he has reached at least the AGE OF
fifty. Should he die before that time
the whole accumulation Ieverlt
10 the state.
The second half of the fund that re-
suits from the deposit of &c a week II
invested for use for sick benefits. If,
child becomes III his parents may draw
lOc a day for the first mouth and &c I
day for the second and third Thi'
would probably Po.far TO pay for th'
extra expenses incurred during the sick
ness.
Germany IS experiment in compulsor!
insurance was the direct result of tht
Bocia listic movement In that country
The law was passed in 1885 to counter
act the propaganda that Prince Bis
mark feared as well as depsed. Ap
parently it has succeeded in accom-
pllshing its desired object, that Of pro
viding insurance, Whether it hal
checked the spread of the doctrine O.
socialism is not apparent.
Under the provisions of the statute
rents are paid in case Of accident, ant
when these result fatally the immedi.
ate needs of those dependant on tbt
victim are met. The sick fund fur.
nishes medicine and nurses and pro
vides money, while old age is fairly
guarded from squalid poverty.
AS a result of the legislation, 5000,
900, of the 56OOO,OOO inhabitants O
the empire are insured against sick
ness; 100000 against accident, anC
1900 600 against inyalidism and ole
age. During the last fifteen year.
4O,0O0,000 have received $5O0,000,0OC
while $250,0OO is paid out on every
working day in the year, On an aver.
age, 100000 working people receiv,
money annually from this source.
The law compels both employers anC
employees to contribute to this fund
Since its enactment the working mel
have paid $42, 600, the employers
$275,O0O,0OO and the government $37,
10000, while the rest has come as in.
terest on investments. 1t is calculated
that during the fifteen years the work
ers have received about $3.50, 900, COZ
that they Gid not directly contribute
The period of time during whicl
this legislation has been In effect ha
been su tllciently long to make its re-
suits apparent. Friendly observers il
Germany declare that the law ha
done much to advance the material
the hygienic, the social welfare of tn,
working people.
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