United labor bulletin., 1911-03-09

and the expenditures were $4,000 900.
Besides these two branches there is a
third national compulsory system relat-
ing to insurance for old age and invalid
ity, in which the employers and the work
men each pay equal amounts while the
Imperial government provides liberal
subsidy. In 1908 the number of persons
insured under this branch was 15,OOO,-
600, the receipts were $4,000. 900, the ex-
penditures were s4S,00O,00O while the re-
serve amounted to 1885,, 100000 The
three systems of insurance have been in
operation for nearly % years, and the
experience under them has been so IA
vorable that in response to widespread
demand the German government is now
preparing to revise and extend the sys-
TEN, and it is expected that in few
years even greater results will be shown
than those now obtained.
A number of cities in Germany are now
providing subsidies for organizations
providing benefits in case of unempioy-
ment; this is usually done by repaytng
to trade unions and similar organizations
percentage of the expenditures they
make for out-of-work, travel, ETC., DEN
efts.
| In Austria the system of workmen's
insurance is patterned closely after that
| of Germany and provides relief for cases
| of sickness and accident to workmen en-
gagged in manufacturing and similar in
dustries, though there is separate or
ganization for the mining industries. The
| expense of the accident insurance Is
borne nine-tenths by the employers and
one-tenth by the workmen, while the ex-
pense of the sickness insurance Is de-
frayed in the proportion of one-third by
the employer and two-thirds by the work
men. For the mining employees there is
insurance for sickness, accident, and old
age One feature of workmen's insur-
ance in Austria which no other country
possesses is a national compulsory sys-
tenn of old-age and invalidity insurance
| for salaried persons, such as clerical
employees of all kinds; the expense OF
this is betrayed partly by the employer
and partly by the insured person In
Austria the figures of the operation of
! the insurance system were also large;
/ in 1907 the number of persons insured
/ against industrial accidents were over
\ .OO0. 900. the total receipts were s10
/ 100000. the total expenditures were S11,-
500. 900. and $4,000 persons received COM
pensation for industrial accidents sus
tanned in the course Of their employmer
during the year. Equally large are the
/ figures of the sickness insurance in 1907;
the number Of persons insured was over
/ 3, ,0O0, 600 the receipts were over $4,000
600, and the expenditures were about
SIS. SOC. 900. The miners insurance in
1907 included $4,000 persons; the re-
ceipts were over s3,O00.ooo. and the ex-
penditures were over sS,00O,000.
While in Germany and Austria the
workmen's insurance systems are highly
centralized, in France the different types
of insurance are provided by great
| variety of institutions and regulated by
| a series of separate laws and DEGREES.
| The insurance of workmen against in
dustrial accidents is regulated mainly by
| the law of 1895 The employer is re-
quired to provide at his own expense
specified system of benefits to injured
workmen. and in order to protect him
self he is allowed to insure his liability
under the law in variety of institu-
tions, such as voluntary associations OF
| workmen or of employers. private insur-
| ance companies, government insurance
| funds, etc In some industries insurance
against sickness is compulsory, but In
the main the French government has
preferred to grant certain privileges to
mutual sickness insurance societies. and
| those complying with certain require
ments receive subsidies from the national
government. In 1910 a law was enacted
providing for a system of old-age pen
sions, though previous law of 1905 had
already put into operation a system or
relief for INDECENT and disabled aged per
sons. The activities of the French gov
ernment also extend to the field OF un-
employment insurance. Since 1905 the
government has made an appropriation
of about $4,000 annually to encourage
| trade-unions and similar societies to as
sist unemployed members
The situation in Belgium resembles
that existing in France: at the present
time the various forms of workmen's In
surance in operation relate to distress
caused by accident. sickness. old age and
invalidity. and unemployment. The Bel
gian law ofs1903 requires employers to
pay at their own expense specified
scale of benefits to workmen injured In
the course of their employment. gov
ernment institution offers to workmen
old-age insurance policies on favorable
terms. while both the employers and the
workmen have organized mutual aid So
cieties to provide sickness Insurance..
The system OF subsldizing unempIoy-
ment insurance, now called the Ghent
plan. originated In Belgium and has
reached its greatest extent there; the
cities, provinces. etc. In practically
every part OF the kingdom are now lib
orally subsidizing trade unions and SINH
lar organizations which provide systems
OF insurance for unemployed workmen.
In Denmark. the report shows that
there are now In operation systsms OF
accident Insurance for the principal
groups of wage-earners In the kingdom.
systems OF sickness insurance through
mutual aid societies subsidized by the
state. and systems OF oid.age relief for
those not able 10 support themselves. In
addition the laws OF 1907 and 1908 per-
NIT the local and national governments
to subsidize trade unions and other or
gauizationG provfdiuR relief In case Of