The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-04-10
REMEDY FOR PAUPERlsM.
What Norway and Denmark Have
Done to Solve the Out of Work Prob
lem-Co- operation of Trade Unions
Make Plan Successful.
BY KATHARINE CONAN.

NidNS ian ooCScsSiui.
BY KATHARINE CONAN,
Professor of economics. Wellesley college.
in Survey.
The first application on national
scale of government aid to voluntary
insurance against unemployment was
undertaken by the new kingdom of
Norway. The year 1904 had brought
serious industrial depression to Scandi-
navia and the desperate endeavors to
meet the necessities of the men thrown
out OF work led to the appointment OF
a commission. Its recommendation
form the basis of the law passed by
the storthing in 1906.
The object of the law was to encour-
age and develop the efforts toward
self insurance already in operation
among the principal trade unions. The
statute provided that the state and the
communes concerned reimburse one
fourth of all benefits paid from unem-
ployment funds organized il record
ance with certain prescription. Only
such employment funds are recognized
as derive at least half their resources
from members dues. and their treas
uries must be independent OF trade
union funds and devoted exclusively to
the care of unemployed members.
1t was recognized from the beginning
that without the momentum of a labor
organization there was little hope OF
ne
self insurance. But the nonunion men
were precisely those most liable to un-
employment and the legislators felt
that they must be provided for. The
law stipulated, therefore, that Il "recog-
nized fund" must admit to member
ship any man or woman exercising
the trade in question whether or no he
was affiliated with the corresponding
trade union.
During the six years operation of the
act but one nonunion man has applied
for membership in an unemployment
fund.
AS to the terms on which benefits
may be paid the law provides that the
unemployment must be involuntary :
/. e., 1t must not have been caused by
strike or lockout or by drunkenness or
bad temper The applicant must have
reported at the nearest employment
agency without being able to find suit
able work. and he may not be in re
cetpt of aid from any other fund No
benefit is granted until man has paid
dues for twenty-siX weeks and never
within the first three days after he has
announced himself out of work and
not for more than ninety days in any
one year. On these terms it is posi-
BILE TO make an average membership
due of krone (Sl90 per year cover
the normal amount of unemployment
with an allowance OF half the daily
wage.
The Danish law of 1907 also utilizes
organized labor to promote this most
difficult form of insurance. The trade
unions had indeed done much already
In the nine years between 1899 and
1907 the organized trades of Denmark
spent $S07. .6S6 In unemployment bene
fits, and they lent all their influence In
support of the bin offering state aid
At the present date ffty-two trade
unions, practically all the federated
trades, have established unemployment
funds in accordance with the terms OF
the law, and 111000 union men are
thus insured.
The Danish law differs from the Nor
wegian In few points The state
offers a subvention to recognized I'M
employment funds amounting to one
third the premiums paid by members
The communes are urged to pay an
addition of one-sixth to the sums con
tributed by persons residing within
their limits. The advantage of esti
mating the government contribution
according to premiums paid rather
than to benefits paid lies in the possi
bility of accommodating a reserve FUND
In good times against the years of de
preston.
Fully 111,000 persons and go per cent
of the workmen in Denmark are now
insured. (The proportion is 73 per cent
of the men insurable and 2S per cen1
of the insurable women.) Practically
all the industrial laborers, who are
unionists and Socialists TO a man, are
insured under the act.
The unslilled workmen and the cas-
ual laborers untouched by the Nor
wegian unemployment system have
been brought within the scope of state
aid in Denmark by very effective
labor organization. The membership
of the Unskilled Laborers' union Is now
$4,000. fully one third of the total mum
ber Of organized laborers. and all this
within four years.
Within the limits prescribed by ths
law the conditions OF unemployment
insurance vary with each fund. TIL.
dues vary from the minimum Of 81 AZ
paid by the unskilled workwomen K
the maximum Of ST per year paid by
the workers in stucco The daily sh
pend is l, 1la or kroner. according tt
the financial status of the fund. A kron,
is equnl to about 27 cents. The period
OF payment runs from fifty days In the
year allowed the unskilied laborers II
the maximum of 1870 days allowed th,
printers. The total smsHnt OF the bana