The sun., 1909-06-28
OLD AGE, INSURANCE LEGISLA-
TION IN FRANCE.

measure for the approximation OF manua
workers will begin this week. It will be
protracted affair. but, barring the unex
pected, the bill is likely to become Law
before the end OF 1909. tit docs, the fina
votes In the Senate and Chamber on th'
perfected draft will mark the oulmina tior
OF eighteen years OF legislative effort
France is not dealing with the problem II
the light hearted spirit Of the present
British Ministry.
The first bill on the subject was intro
duced In the Chamber OF Deputies ir
1901. Even then the topic was old. Al
far back as 1s4s. in the days Of the Sec
ond Republic. an important plan Of old
age insurance, backed by the State, wal
proposed, and in June. 1850. 1t became ar
accomplished fact. 1t Is known as the
Caisse Rationale des Retraites de Ia Vie.
illesse 1t is a system Of purchase Of STATE
annuities on the instalment plan, and II il
still in beneficent operation; but as II Il
conducted on strictly actuarial principle,
with a rate Of ~ per cent. on the pay.
ments made as basis Of calculation. the
size OF the instalments that II demands In
order to produce any useful result puts II
beyond the reach Of the very poor. for
whom the legislation now in progress
aims to provide.
ter in 1891, the Deputies consumed fifteen
years before they finally passed a biii
This they did In 1905 and sent IT promptly
to the Senate. There was mething OF q
furry over old age pensions then: M
Bouvier when he became Premier in the
early part Of 1905 had included them In
his first statement to the Chamber as a
feature Of his policy along with two years
military service. an income tax. and sep
aration Of Church and State; it was there.
fore supposed that the Senate would take
speedy action. It did nothing Of the sort.
however 1t referred the bill to a special
committee, and there it remained in proc
ess Of incuba ton until the latter part OF
May OF this year. Then It emerged In
printed form. bearing hardly any resem-
blance to the bill passed by the Chamber.
and as soon as it emerged 1t was promptly
sidetracked again by being referred 10
the Senate Committee on Finance. This.
however. 1t is understood. is not to be a
prolonged obscuration. About fort
night was generally considered sufficient
for the fnanciers to consider II from the
point OF view Of the national treasury.
When they report it, the final stages Of
open confederation in the Senate and
conferences with the Chamber follow.
Whatever shape 1t takes. the bill Ia a
leading factor In the huge deficit. present
and prospective. which French statesmen
are endeavoring to overcome by reform
Of the tax laws; but at least It Is more
reasonable than 1t was before the Senate
committee did its work. This body has
often been bitterly assailed by radical
politicians Tor spending three years in
revising a work to which the Chamber
had devoted fifteen. The con sensus Of
opinion in the reasonable part OF the
Parisian press seems to be that the time
was we'll spent. The bill Of the Chamber
Is now regarded as having been a wild
chlmera. II was impossible OF execution
II would have required hundreds OF mill
ions OF francs. and no method Of raising
the money for it Is or was conceivable.
After all, II was, like the English bill. an
'unrehecting act Of radicalism. Withal,
there was great opposition to It among the
very class whom 1t was to benefit. It was
compulsorya, nd 1t contemplated system
OF enrolment and registry similar to that
which prevails in Germany. and all the
trades unions made emphatic protest
against It as being tyrann Gus in its inva-
sion Of individual rights. Its benehcence
by the strong hand. which commended it
to the socialist groups. was obnoxious to
the agricultural population and to all the
town workers not adherents Of socialism.
The Senate committee. therefore. had
the entire task to do over
again. A French critic puts the case this
way: The Senators had to translate into
French what was sent to them In German.
The Senate commission starts with the
idea that persons OF the working class
begin TO earn az from is 10 is years OF age.
During these years, therefore, young
people or their friends may begin their
at the rate OF three francs
Or 90 cents year. From ls to eS the tax
Is six francs or 81 20 year. except that in
The case Of men no payment is to be made
'or the two years Of compulsory military
'ervice. These sums. however. are mini |
nun. Any worker who wishes may in
,rease them and receive correspondingly
increased superannuaton when the time |
,omes.
With the painstaking minuteness OF |
French lawlnaking, various contingencies |
,ave been provided for. For instance,
here is the case Of hard times. sickness,
Industrial depression. during which the
worker might not be able to keep up his
payments. Ample leeway is allowed. An
lrticle OF the bill provides that the pay
nents required need only be made for a
otal OF thirty years between the ages of
s and e5 in order to secure the benefits;
! large margin. Again there is the case
# tho subscriber dying before he reaches
no benefit asc; this is provided for by
'arfous alternatives by which payments
viii be made to his widow or children at
east equivalent to the sum that he has
aid in.
In return for his annual contribution OF
4 20 made for thirty years, that IL TO say
N investment of $50, the workman--work-
woman equally-who reaches the age Of
) will rcceive an annuity Of I2o francs
n 32t. This is the minimum benefit
nut thcrc Is a secondary scheme Of
llowunces (pensions) based upon the
ctnal payments during tho benefciary's
rorking life. by which the old age In.
ONE may reach a total as high as 400
rancs or $50 a year where annual CON-