El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-09
COVE
SCHEME HAS
ENEMIES
English People Object to
Paying For Sickness In
Surance.
PHYSICIANS ALSO
MAKE A PROTEST

London, England, March 9-For an
act that passed through parliament
without division, that is without any
member registering a vote against IL,
the. National Insurance scheme against
sickness and disablement has set up a
record for the extent Of the contro-
Fersy that has ragged around it
Inc friendly societies, which have
insurance benefits of their own for
members, started the trouble They
Jared that the bill, by forcing their
members to contribute to the govern
ment scheme would induce them TO
leave the societies. This was settled
Dy approved societies being allowed to
administer the act so far as il dealt
with their members.
Rebel at Stamps.
Then came the opposition of mis-
IfesSes ana servants. who, besides OBJ
Jecting to contributing their six cents
weekly each for the insurance of the
servant, raised a cry against the nee
essity Of sticking the necessary stamps
in a book.
Opposition also came from large en-
ployens Of labor chiefly in the cotton
districts of Lancashire who held that
the extra tax would deprive them OF
their profits.
Others Oppose Bill.
Other classes have taken up the cry
against the bill, the Socialists among
them. as they wanted system to
which the workmen would not have to
contribute the state and employer pay
ing the whole Of the amount required.
The most serious and sustained op-
position to the bill, however. has been
that Of the medical men, $1,000 OF
whom have signed a declaration that
they viii not accept service under the
act The chief objection of the doctors
IS that no adequate remunerstiO for
the medical men could be obtained IN
ger the act and II would in fact
amount to about 81 yearly for each
patient This is only a calculation. a.
the act states that the remuneration OF
doctors who place their names on the
lists Of those agreeing TO attend pa
tients under the act shall be a mat
ter Of arrangement between the local
insurance committees and the doctor
The medical men. however. point out
that the committees consist of perhaps
so members, only three Of whom would
be medical men, so that the chances Of
adequate remuneration are the remot-
est.
Medical Men object.
The medical men also object to the
control by friendly societies. chiefly
because they believe Welltodo people
would creep into friendly societies and
get medical attendance at the same
rate as the labOrers- Then there Is
objection to what is known here as
the contract system This already pre-
walls in certain districts. chiefly
among the miners, who contribute to
a fund out Of which q medical man
attends those contributing for a fixed
salary.
Those doctors who. in the face Of the
decision Of the great majority Of their
profession have agreed to act under
the bill are being decried as black
legs" and the campaign is being
carried on much as would a strike Of
trade uniOnists.
Counter Campaign.
The government has started coun-
ter campaign to bring home to every
household in the land that II was to a
Radical government that they owed
what they believe to be the blessings
of a great measure OF a great healing
organ iZation.
Lloyd George opened this campaign
at a meeting in the London opera
house when he replied to the criticisms
Of the medical profession He con-
tended that the doctors were no longer
under the control OF the friendly soct-
cites, and as to remuneration the Dill
set up an Independent authority on
ed and which would frame the terms
The insurance committees could not
arrange the terms for paying doctors
without consulting the local medical
committee representing the whole Of
the doctors of the district and there
was an appeal to the insurance com
missioners.
Should the medical profession refuse
to act, all the safeguards inserted in
the act for their profession would be
wiped out at once and the act would
be as alive as ever The money allocat-
ed 70 medical benefits would be hand
ed over to the insured persons through
their societies and the doctors would
once more find themselves face to
face with the friendly societies, the
membership Of which would be in
creased by 10000, 600.
The act was to have been proclaimed
on May /. The time has now been ex-
tended until July / and an effort has
been made to have the date further
retarded