The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-12-19

DDySlCdlly uuuL w WI N ohu AiSSo AiA1
in the case of illness from worry as to
the future, must increase the efficiency
of labor. In no way can this be done
SO cheaply as by scientific system Of
insurance such as the act provides.
The increased efficiency of the worker
will be far in excess of the total cost
of insurance under the scheme. AS
employers pay only small part of the
cost, it may be anticipated that they
will in the long run receive benefits
far out.weighing their contributions.
Relieves Undeserved Poverty.
"In Judging the act" continued Mr..
Smith, you must not consider it as
a final measure. 1t is only start
though a good start--in the campaign
for establishing a minimum standard
Of living and comfort below which nc
Briton shall fall, unless it be through
deliberate fault of his own. To prop,
erly judge this act you must regard it
as part only of wider program for
dealing with the preventable causes OF
poverty and unemployment AID rails.
ing the standard of living for til work.
ing classes in this country. Lsrty
and unemployment have existed and
still exist in every country and under
every form OF government. Like dis.
ease and death, they cannot be wholly
banished by act Of parliament The
insurance act strikes at certain causes
of poverty and unemployment. which
are preventable. In conjunction with
the workmen's compensation acts, the
old age pensions act, the public health
acts, and the factory acts, all measures
of social reform, which seek to make
tomorrow's world better than our
world today, the insurance act endeav.
ors to remove poverty and distress due
to accident, sickness, infirmity, old
age. insanitary workshops and un-
healthy dwellings. 1t attacks the slum
owner, penalties the sweater and
makes the health of the people the
first care of the state. It lays broad
and firm the foundations of new so.
cial policy-a policy Of mutual help
and good will among all members OF
the community, based upon a recogni-
ton of the fact that the undeserved
poverty or undeserved unemployment
of the humblest member of society is
something which closely affects the
general well-being of the state"
And Mr.. Calvert, who represents not
a Liberal.Labor constituency, but the
city which employs labor, gave EN-.
phatic assent.
100000 Get Sick Benefit Weekly. !
Some things are certain in regard to
the acts workings. About 100000
persons in Great Britain and Ireland
are now insured against sickness,
when before the act there were about
100000. The act raised the first year
$130,000,000. OF this amount the work
men contributed s55,OOO,O0O, Twenty
thousand doctors are employed to give
free medical treatment and nine thou.
sand chemists-who are the British
druggists-furnish free drnssg PEE.
scribed by these DOCTORS. To the pogf.l
est workingman is given the sane
medical treatment and the same pire
medicines and drugs as the richest
duke can afford. About s25,0O0,OOO has
been paid during the year to doctors
and $5,OOO,0OO to chemists. Sickness
benefits are paid weekly to 27GO00
workers. The men get $3.50 a week
and the women s1,75 week, because
they pay less.
Maternity benefits amounting to ST.;
100000 have been paid. The birth
rate has at least not been discouraged
For tuberculosis sanatoriums has BEEN
set aside $S,0OO,0OO. twenty-five thou
sand workmen have been treated I'm.
der the act, $4,000 in sanatoriums.|
These are the figures, but for the real
facts as to the benefits brought by|
the act one must note the changed
conditions in the workingmen's homes
see the cures wrought, the shadows|
lifted. No man or woman in the|
United Kingdom need lack, under this
act, insurance against sickness, unem,|
ployment or the unmerited poverty
which, to the uIderpaid, so frequently
comes with old age.
But is this MT queer business for d
great empire?
Let the bes-hated and bestowed
statesman In Great Britain, the author
of the nationa Insurance act, David
Lloyd George, make reply: II
adds Ney Glory to Empire" il
"since 1908 when we had old age
pensions for the first time, we have
had a great empire for the first time
taking a direct interest in the condt
ton of thoseaged. those infirm, those
sick, and thee broken. The old the
ory was thatthis was beneath the dig
nifty Of an expire. The concern of al
empire was % see that the machinery
Of human slaughter was perfect That
was the concern Of an empire. To tai
the food ofthe people. that is think
ing imperialy; but to heal the sich,
to feed thehungry, these are thoughts
fit only fora parish beadle. There was
great Emperor once who added to
the lusterof his fame by visiting the
wounded lfter the battle. Now we
have got his preat Rr;tiab omr,ro o.,