Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-22
His Insurance Act Is a Blessing
to Millions Boon to the
Unemployed, TO the Sick and
to Women Bearing Children.
Already Its Tremendous Effects
for Good Are Being Shown.
Wiping Out Of Consumption
To Be One Great Achievement.
Special Correspondence Of The Sun
day American.

day American.
LONDON. Feb 2i-In 1911 the
English Chancellor Of the Exchequer.
David Lloyd George staked his own
fortunes and those OF the Government
when he introduced his now famous
insurance act The magnitude Of its
scope, the amount involved, its com
pulsory nature, the number Of people
a embraced. charged the carrying Of
such measure with the Freaest risk.
And he knew that II 10 were carried
SITS financial and social value would
Vet remain 10 be proved, and that II
7he fruit OF thc tree did not Justify the
labor that brought IL forth, the re-
Rponsibie person would be desiroyeI
with It. All thls Lloyd George knew.
but he smiled Rrimly and went ahead.
After one OF the greatest Parlia-
mentary struggles on record. he mad
his way. thus placing upon the stat
ute book the biggest piece Of con
structive social legislation that either
: his own or any other country had
ever attempted. lie stepped at once
into the ranks OF those great men
who achieve the impossible.
His Great Ideal.
His grand conception was that
amongst all the workers OF tho A.
000, 900 people Of the United Kingdom
there should not be one under 50 who,
81 his earnings made IL impossible 10
protect himself by insurance through
ordinary channels. should he denied
insurance against sickness and unem-
ploYment under the State guarantee.
Men and women, citizen or allen, an
were 10 be insured, The test OF their
need for State insurance was whether
their income fell below $500 per an
NUM-, the amount beyond which COM
pels the payment Of income tax.
The great Friendly Societies n
England had for many years con-
Quoted industrial insurance amongst
those who might he described as the
aristocracy OF labor This was "A
project to include all labor, whether
skilled. casual or domestic. male or
female. The state guarantee was 10
be used as a vital part Of the state
machinery OF insurance There was
not to he a. worker without privi-
1eecs previously belonging only to a
few.
Government Responsible.
The Friendly Societies naturally.
could only give benefits in proportion
10 the amounts received from the
WORKERS, and that less cost OF adj
lninistration. The new scheme re-
CURED larger gross subscription
than the single contribution the work
ers could afford. The Government
should make itself responsible and
share in the cost.
Further since one result would be
better health and better work from
the employee. his increased economic
value to his employer should be rep
resented by a contribution from the
latter Further yet, II the working
classes were TO appreciate its value
and the vital principle Of thrift be
unimpaired, they must share in the
I.afs ma fta
These three contributions OF state,
employer and worker all for the ben
eft of one OF the three contributing
parties, would enable the state to Of
fer TO the beneficiary value for the
total contributions that his own single
part could not possibly provide,
Hence. the phrase "ninepence for
feurpence." employed by Mr.. Lloyd
George TO explain in terms OF weekly
contribution what the Insured were to
receive. The ninepence as Cents). Is
made up rs follows: From the worker
between the age Of 20 on TO 90 years.
fourpence per week; from the em-
ployer threepence and from the State
twopence. In the case OF women. the
total contribution il one penny g
cents less per week than the male,
hav proportion Of the above amounts
betsy only threepenoe
Advantages Not Limited.
NOT NJ tne advantage 10 tut NolheF
limited TO receiving uiuepence worth
OF insurance for "A fourpenny contri-
button For the state is at the back
Of all the benefits ANA win never fail.
Surely the working classes should
have gone wild with delight.
The opposition that grew between
the introduction of the act and It's
coming into operation was SO power
ful that no Minister. save David
Lloyd George. could have withstood IL.
For to-day there are nearly fifteen
millions secured against the disabili-
ties OF those who may suCCumb
through lack Of prupcN medical care
IN sickness or sink for lack OF food
curing Unemployment. or wither from
lack OF means in old age,
The Benefits Received
Health Insurance Every insured
person upon requiring il receives
medical benefit sickness benefit. dis
ablement benefit maternity benefit
and what may he called additional
varying benefits. The medical benefit
Includes free medical treatment and
medicine and certain kinds of surgi-
cal appliances The insured person
has the choiae of his own doctor from