The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-05
LLOYD GEORGES
 BILL APP[AUDED Provides State Insurance ss For Sickness AFFECTS LABORERS
Provided That Working Classes With Income Less Than 16O Pounds Sterling Be Insured
 Against Sickness

London. May 1.-The long promised scheme of state insurance against en- ployment, sickness and invalidity, intro- duced in the house of commons today by David Lloyd-George, chancellor of the exchequer, was received with an extra ordinary course of appreciation by all parties in parliament, which must have greatly astonished that much execrated minister It will be difficult to avoid the conclusion that the praise bestowed by his political opponents contains a side thrust at his old age pensions meas ure which has always been severely crit icised by the unionists because it was not contributory
 While the governments supporters hail the insurance measure as the most com prehensive plan of constructive legisla- ton ever introduced in parliament, far exceeding in grasp and compass any thing anticipated and better than the German system, the unionist.s offer un- grudging money to the capacity and the mastery of intricate details displayed.
 The general opinion is that Chancellor Lloyd-George is too optimistic with re- gard to the cost of the scheme to the state and employers. and a strong note of criticism Is already emanating from the great manufacturers. who are certain to be heavily burdened In brief, the situation appears to be that even if the opposition dislikes the measure social istic, they will not dare oppose 1t after the success which attended the pensions scheme.
 David Lloyd George reappeared in the house of commons today, being present for the first time since his physical breakdown. The chancellor divided his proposition in two parts, one dealing with sickness and the other with unemploy- ment. By the provisions of the measure, every worker between the ages of 16 and 65, whose annual earnings fall below the income tax level of s16o G77s) sterling, will be compulsoriy insured against ill., ness so as to assure him the receipt of five shillings ($1 POD per week, during his incanacity. In this way the worker would contribute about one-half, the amount being deducted from lis wages, while the balance would be paid jointly by his employers and the state
 The weekly assessment against the in sured would be cents. in the case of man and cents for a woman. rep resenting, as the chancellor put 1t, two pints of ale, or one ounce of tobacco. The employers would pay cents weekly for every employe and the government contribute cents for each of the in- sured.
 
 penditure incurred would be $35.00o,00O in ia12-13. rising to s10O.O0o.OOO in 1915-l6
 Dealing with unemployment insurance, the chancellor said it would at first ap- ply only to the engineering. shipbuilding and hotisebuilding trades Involving 2,5O0.- 900 workers. Both the workers and the employers would pay cents weekly each, the state contributing sS.750.OoO a year. ar about one-fourth of the total cost. The contributors when unemployed would receive a maximum of 15 shillings and g minimum of shillinss weekly. No pay ments would be made in cases of strikes or lockouts.
 The chancellor was loudly cneered when he concluded his speech. J. Austen Cham herIain supported the bill. saying the op- nosition desired to cooperate in the leg islation. The bill was read for the nrst ume amid general cheers.