The Washington herald., 1908-08-09
INSURES AGAINST IDLENESS
City Of Strassburg Develops Plan TO
Aid Unemployed.
Other German MuRtciRalitie-, Much
Interested in the system,
Make Inquiries.

The bureau Of manufactures Of the De
partmenJ Of Labor last week made public
the details of a system OF Insurance
against idleness. worked ont In the city Of
Strassburg. Germany. The ordinance.
providing certain rules for granting al
lowances 10 the unemployed. vas passed
by the city councils Of Strassburg last
December. The plan is worked in connec-
tion with the Industrial societies. and. il
is stated, with great success
The details OF the system are given In
a communication % the bureau from
Vice Consul General Walter A. Leonard.
Of KehI. in the course or which be says
The city Of Strassbu-g. In order TO min
inlize unemployment as much as possible
and 70 have an indirect control OF the
same. has offered 70 give an extra allow
ance OF 81 per cent. IN addition 20 that
which any Industrial society En- the city
contributes 10 its members who are in
voluntarily unemployed. provided. OF
course, the conditions laid down in the
rules and regulations are complied with
According to a report Of the city coun-
ell. recently published the Introduction
OF this system OF Insurance has proved 20
be a success IN St-asshurE. so much so
that no less than fifty cities IN Germany
have written inquiries concerning The
workings Of the system
Twenty different Industrial societies.
comprising membership Of about 25 per
cent CT the wcrkmeu OF St-assbu-g. ap-
piled for membership within a month
after the adoption Of the rules and regg-
lations BY the city council OF these
twenty societies. twelve received the guar
anteed support while the other eight on
plenty Of work. did not need 20 take ad-
vantage of the city's offer.
The city was called upon 10 pay : so
marks $50 IN 1sl. while Industrial So
cieiies paid $3.50 marks $3.50 20 their
members for such Insurance. The appar-
ent inconsisteucy of the city not paying
1000 marks CSg62}-50 per cent of the sum
paid out by the societies. explained by
the fact that all the Idle workmen who re-
ceived support from their respective so
cieties did not comply in all particulars
with the city's rules and regulations.
hence were not entitled 70 the extra al
iowance. the tpcO chief reasons being a
residence Of less than a year n the city.
and the failure OF the workman 10 report
regularly at the city employment bureau
This insurance system does not reach
all the labOre-s. il particular. the IN
skilled classes. who belong TO no indus
JFlai SocieJleS- II IS true IlGI less Inan
3 per cent OF the laborers at the begin
ming Of this year came under the prcvis-
ion Of the citys allowance guaranty, but
the director Qf The local employment bu-
reau says that the percentage Of work
men belonging TO the Industrial societies
has increased since the city introduced
this system. and that the percentage viii
undoubtedly continue 10 Increase and thar
these Insurance rules and regulations
would encourage the organization Of in
dustrial societies. whose aim IS 10 in
crease proficiency iE their respective
trades, and educate their members gen
orally, ard eventually the great majority
OF laboreTs, so far as unemployment is
concerned, viii be under control OF the
city through these societies.