The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-24
INSURING YOUR JOB.
Nineteenth CENTURY,

In April, 1891, there was opened in
Berne the first municipal bureau for in
surance against unemployment the
world has ever seen The bureau was
organized on voluntary lines; any Swiss
subject might insure in 1t, but no one
need insure unless he chose. Those
who did not insure were required to
pay 20 centimes-a fraction less than
| 1 pence-a month each into the bureau
fund, and in return they secured the
right Of an allowance OF a franc If alone
standing, OF a franc and a half If with
others dependent upon them, for every
day I'D to sixty days they were out of
work in winter through no fault Of their
own. Employers were not required to
contribute to the fund. but 1t was hoped
that they would do so voluntarily.
During the first year 404 men insured
in Il. but fifty of them were struck of
the list because they did not pay their
fees regularly. OF the remaining 354,
PIG were out of work in the winter and
applied for help. Work was found for
fifty of them, and the 166 others re-
ceived allowances. These allowances
amounted TO e,s35 francs. while the fees
the men paid amounted to only LIZA
francs. The following year things were
a little better. but only a little; for al
though 12s new members Joined the bu-
reau. 81 names were removed from the
list In the course of the winter 226
Of the insured were out Of work, and
PIG of them received allowances
amounting to 1854 francs, while the fees
OF all the insured together amounted to
only 1856 francs Thus, when in 1895
the time came for weighing the expert
nent In the balance, no one could claim
that IL had proved success. Still there
was a strong feeling that IL must not
be abandoned, as it might 1t worked
differently prove a success in the future.
II was bound to prove a success indeed,
7 its mana gers claimed, If only the work
insmen of all classes could be induced
TO throw n their lot together and in
sure against unemployment. AS 1t was
il was only the unskilled who insured,
and even among the unskilied only
those who were likely to be unemployed.
This was proved by the fact that IN the
first year the bureau existed 81 per cent
of the men belonging TO II were out of
work. tt was proposed, therefore, that
| insurance against unemployment should
be made compulsory, and as this was
beyond the power Of the municipality,
DR.. Wassilieff appealed TO the cantonal
government 10 frame a measure on the
same lines a. that on which the courts
of trade are founded. comforting on dis
trict authorities the right to organize.
in cooperation with the state, insurance
against unemployment on compulsory
lines He even showed them how it
could be done. as he drew up for them
a compulsory insurance bill.
The bill was received with enthusiasm
and the minister Of the interior an
nounced his intention Of adopting IL as
a government measure. He changed his
tone. however. when he found that al
though the mass Of the workers were
in favor OF 1t. the better paid among
them were bitterly opposed to it. re-
garding IL as an attempt to levy a tax
on them for the benefit of their less
weIl-to-do comrades. Besides, if it were
passed. the whole canton would be
/ Hooded with undergrad labor from other
cantons. they said. The end of il was
that the cantonal parliament. while ex-
pressing warm sympathy with the aim
Of the bill, decided that the subject
with which il dealt was not ripe for
I legislation.
Meanwhile the Berne Voluntary In
suraace bureau was pursuing the even
/ tenor of its way. It was reorganized
| in 1895 and again in 1900. Since then il
/ has developed into an extremely inter
esting and useful institution. Tt Is now
/ Joined to another and still more useful
/ institution, the Berne Municipal Labor
bureau. the two being housed in the
same building and worked together.
/ They are under the direction and con-
/ troll of a managing board. consisting Of
! nine members three of whom are elect
/ ed by the men who insure and three by
/ their employers, while three are APP
pointed By the municipal council. These
/ directors hold Office for four years. and
: at the end Of every year they render
an account Of their stewardship TO the
| Municipal council Three of the direct