Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-07
GERMAN DIPLOMAT
TELLS OF REFORMS
COUNT Won BERNST0RFF IS
MILWAUKEE'S GUEST
FatherIand Cities Are Directing Atten-
ton to Housing of Employees; En-
couraeing Building Societies
and Municipal Grants

MILWAUKEE,, May 6.-Count Jo-
haan Heinrich Won Bernstorfr, the
German ambassador, was the guest OF
honor at a banquet tonight given by
the Citizens Business league. He re-
sponded to the toast, Social REFORM
in Germany" He said:
Il beg leave to express my most
heartfelt thanks for the splendid recep-
ton L have received at Milwaukee, and
for the kind words addressed TO me.
4 realize perfectly well thar the
splendid receptions with which l have
been honored were not intended for me
personally, but were meant as an ex-
preston OF friendship for nation
which has always been on the very
best of terms with the American peo-
ple. we all wish that this friendship
NAV always increase, and as a matter
of course this wish finds particularly
strong expression in Milwaukee.
Il do not wish to engage your at
tention for any length of time, but l
should like to say a few words about
the influence the workmen's insurance
laws had on the German cities in CIV
ing strong impetus, which led to the
creation of very many useful municipal
institutions.
"The cities are burdened by the
workmen's insurance partly in their
quality as administrative authorities
having to perform a certain quantity
of work for the execution of the three
branches of insurance, partly as the
responsible executors of the communal
sick insurance which often requires
subvention out of the communal funds,
and partly as employers in the munich
nal public works, such Is gas works,
water works, electric works tramways
considering that the workman is
only entitled to claim the benefits OF
the insurance laws in case of sick
ness, accident, invalidity and old age,
if his position is that of a workman
from the legal or statutory point of
view, many towns have taken meas
ures to the effect that every healthy
workman gets occupation, if possible,
and remains insured.
For that purpose labor register Of
fees have been instituted which, I'M
der responsible direction, form CEN
trail offices for the labor market and
assist the workman in looking for en-
ployment They supply to the unem-
ployed workman quick and gratuitous
information about vacancies, and so
reduce the time of involuntary idle
ness and enable him to earn his living
and at the same time, to found his
legal claim for further assistance.
Besides, the towns are endeavoring to
reduce involuntary idleness by provid-
ing for work, viz: by having so-called
distress work" executed. Such kind
of work has been undertaken by the
cities to a great extent during the
last years of economic depression.
Lastly, some communities have also
approached the question of insuring
workmen against involuntary idleness
and thus providing assistance for
them when they are out of employ
ment.
THE cities are also devoting ever
increasing attention to the housing Of
the workmen employed by them and
of the less prosperous inhabitants
of their districts in general On the
one hand, they construct cheap dwell
lings of small size for the munic-
ipal workmen, or they stipulate by
statute that such dwellings constructed
by them may only be let or sold
to workmen and subaltern officials.
On the other hand they encourage
private builders or building societies
TO construct such dwellings by grant,
ing them certain labors and subven-
lions In money or by conceding mu-
nicipal ground to build on. Besides.
they endeavor to improve the dwell
lings in existence and help the re-
quirements of offer and demand to be
met with by emitting police rules for
the condition of dwellings. by appoint
ing inspectors Of dwellings and open
ing dwellings, register Offices"