The Cairo bulletin., 1910-10-18
OUT OF WORK AID
Belgian Scheme Of Insurance
Against Unemployment.
The SYSTEM or GHENT.

Based on Trade Union Plan of Paying
Benefits to Idle Members--Many Eu.
ropcan Cities Contribute to Union
Funds.
Louis varlez, Belgian statistician.
devised the most practical and sincere
/ proposal 70 relieve unemployment
/ among organized skilled and unskilled
: workers. The system is based upon
the mutual insurance funds Of the
| unions.
In times Of prosperity the unions col
lect from their members certain dues
which make up the unemployed bene-
| ut fund. From this fund In times OF
unemployment the unions pay out
small sums to their unemployed mem.
bers
However, at periods OF severe cri-
sis the funds Of the unions are easily
overdrawn. Here enters in varlez's
scheme, BY a municipal allowance the
unions are put in the position to in.
crease their unemployed fund.
The city OF Client. In Belgium. intro
duced this system In 1904. 1t worked
SO successfully that by now 1t is uni
versally recognized as the most eff.
Client measure against unemployment.
and many states and municipalities
have already introduced "the system
or Client or are discussing its imme-
date realization.
In France more than forty munich
palities and several departments have
adopted the system Of Client. Since
the law Of 1905 the French state is au-
thorized to aid the unions financially
In case Of unemployment.
Ten cities in Holland have lately in.
PRODUCED Varlez's scheme. The Norxe-
CLAN state, conforming TO the law of
1905, reimburses one-fourth and Den,
mark one-third of the sum paid out BIZ
the unions in unemployment benefits.
The salient features of the unem
ployed insurance statute Of the city OF
Strassburg are the following:
Every unemployed who belongs to
a trade union or an association Of en-,
ployees that pays unemployed benefits
gets from the city an additional allow
ance.
The city pays an allowance only
in cases Of involuntary unemployment
Ii unemployment is caused by strikes,
lockouts or their consequences. by ill
ness, accident or inralldity. the city
is not obliged to pay.
''The aid Of the city amounts to 30
per cent OF the sum paid BY above
associations In other words, II t'ss
person unemployed draws 70 cents
from the trade union fund the city
adds 70 cents to the sum. However
the allowance OF the city cannot ex.
coed % cents day
"lf the person unemployed Is pro-
vided with suitable work the-eity stops
the payment of the allowance. unmar-
ried people must accept work outside
the town il special circumstances do
not initiate against it.
only such unions and associations
have claim upon the aid of the city
which have an organized unemployed
benefit service for their members and
which ask the office of the mayor for
the aid of the city and accept the /
statutes Of this unemployment ordi
nance"
The results attained in ctraeeiutra
are so satisfying and encouraging that
the unions of such great Industrial
city as Berlin, where during the las
Industrial crisis more than 10000 OF
ganized workers were without work.
have unanimously directed their repre-
sentatiyes to take steps for the reali-
cation Of similar institution in that
,ity Twentieth Century Magazine.
I