New-York tribune., 1908-06-21
GERMAN SOCIAL LAWS
Conservative Effect of the Insurance
.Susfem for Wage Farmers.
Dortmund. June 10.

.fsc-
a5 ,,ntfl there is a population Of nearly
oaoaa0 social reform is condition, not a
- There is intricate network Of So
.i,,ies and administrative agencies Cor carrying
,trAe forms Of compulsory insurance. Each
distinct system. controlled by separate
.o-4+ies and representative bodies. Miners. ore
soeeers ouarryuen. pitmen. smelters. factory
sends apprentices, railway servants. shop as
s-.or-s domestic servants and other classes Of
,-ler in Dortmund are insured against sick
ass accident. permanent disability and old age.
The Yrar1ilns may be paid by simple a
--ocass as putting stamp card; but the
-, reouires the interaction Of a large num-
- NJ renresentative associations and the gen.
.1 s,pervisfon Of the insurance boards Of the
s+etes or Of the empire.
r,,ssi,,ists who consider that the world is gov
s,ea TOO much will not find it difficult TO make
-, = prina facie case in Dortmund. Employers
,,5 v-orl-ren are compelled to comply with the
sorirenaents of the triple system Of insurance
seL hv week and the various funds ad
,iristered by associated action involving
,,ss of detail. The miners have their own sick
ind. there are similar funds for special trades.
.,5 there are communal and parochial organi
cations in the same field. Except in the case of
communal insurance, where the responsibility
rests with the local authorities. the management
of these sick funds is shared by the employers
er5 representative workmen. The employers
,s,-e 10 bear the costs of accident insurance. and
-bev have trade or general associations for ar
ranging the details The workmen repre-
sented in inquiries respecting causes Of accident,
arbitration proceedings and other details In
s7yrance against invalidity and old age brings in
another set Of societies and administrative agen-
cias in which employers and employed are rep
resented in equal numbers. Some Of the trades
ere serararely organized and others are grouped
for convenience. and there is general state super
vision
The workman is cog in a system of complex
mechanism. with wheels within wheels He is
also unit Of working power that helps to make
everything ope-ate for his benefit Probably his
military training and German instinct for or
rsnization tend TO fit him for carrying out so
intricate system. He understands his duties
and privileges respecting all these classes Of
Insurance. and he has his vote for determining
The membership Of a series Of representative
bodies His pennies are saved and he looks
after his emergency investment. The fact that
he Is compelled TO make contributions regularly
does ro- preildice him against the system. for
The same pressure is brought TO bear upon his
EMPLOYERS Il the state has a grip upon him
and forces him 10 make sacrifices and to do a
good deal Of work for his good. il never
occurs 20 him that he is governed too much or
thsr M Is victim of meddlesome administra-
tion and has q grievance against existing law.
When the pessirlist has had his mocking sneer
st ihe German passion for administrative detail
the ortir1ist may come in with encouraging re-
Hection If social reforms are urgently needed
IN overpopulated, progressive states. il is not
reasonable 70 suppose that they can be carried
nu- e4acrivelv without a good deal of painstak-
;nr labor: and if this work is done on large
Fele in Germany IL is a convincing proof OF
spirit Of accommodation in the relations Of en-
blowers and employed and Of increased efficiency
in the MANAGEMENT of institutions The work
mems weekly premiums registered on sickness
or disability cards seem Insignificant but the
aggregate results must undoubtedly seem large
when We consider that thu accumulated funds
for al classes Of compulsory insurance ap
proach S4oa0elee0 It is really a great &C
complishuent that millions OF workers and
hundreds of thousands of employers have ad-
5usted themselves TO so complex a system and
are carrying il out with such extraordinary ia
cility. When English Liberals condemn the con-
tributory method as too complicated for their
own country they unconsciously pay tribute TO
the superior capacity OF German employers and
work-nen.
An experienced Official IN talking with me.
has laid stress upon the conservative tendencles
Of these Insurance laws. He holds that social
with the cordial cooperation Of employers and
worknlen, are making Germany less socialistic
from the de1na gogue's point of view The So
cialisrIc agitators denounced the insurance laws
e. the outset as inadequate and beggarly. They
wanted free gifts from the state and exactions
and levies upon the rich: and they have never
ceased 10 6eclaim against the system as a
futile surrender Of the interests of labor. Mean
while the laws have been in operation for a
considerable period and the working people
have come TO regard them Just and equal
There Is no organized opposition them among
wage earners. Workers perceive that they are
benefited by the system q whole and that
their employers and the state are cooperating
With Ihem in protecting them IN emergencies.
# sick pay and pensions are larger in some in
Stances than in others. there are complaints
Of injustice. The common basis OF the three
methods Of insurance is the weekly wage. and
The benefits naturally vary with the value Of
the earning power and the extent Of the weekly
Contributions. The working classes are salts
NED with the practical results Of the system.
has tended TO produce better spirit be-
tween wage earners and their employers and
3 make working people more reasonable in
ter demands
What the Liberal government IN England is
attempting TO DO is to give five shlings week
10 every woman who has not been
thrifty enough to have more than ten shllings
70 live upon It IS TO be a free gift. bestowed
with limitations and inquisitorial devices. so az
70 reduce the number Of pensioners as far as
possible. The pension will not be earned by the
saFings Of the benehciaries. will it be pro-
porloned to their previous efficiency as wage
earners. Those receiving pensions will not be
grateful for what they get, and those Of equal
age who are excluded from similar benefits by
eiose administration will suffer from q sense Of