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

day American.
LONDON, Feb. Elm 1911 the
English Chancellor of the Exchequer,
David Lloyd George, stalSed 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
puIsory nature, the number of people
it embraced, charged the carrying Of
such a measure with the greaest risk.
And he knew that if ii were carried
its financial and social value would
vet remain to be proved, and that If
the fruit of the tree did not justify the
labor that brought it forth. the re-
sponsible person would be dest royei
with it. All this Lloyd George knew,
hut he smiled grimly and went ahead.
After one of the greatest Parlid-
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 He 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 the 49,
600 600 people of the United kingdom
there should not be one under S. who,
If his earnings made it impossible to
protect himself by insurance through
ordinary channels, should be denied
insurance against sickness and unem-
ployment under the State guarantee.
Men and women. citizen or alien. nj
were to be insured. The test of their
need for State insurance was whether
- foil hal
mum, the amount beyond which COM
pels the payment of income tax
The great Friendly Societies in
England had for many years con-
Quoted industrial insurance amongst
those who might be described as he
arstocracy of labor. This was a
project to include all labor, whether
skilled. casualSor domestic, male OF
female The State guarantee was 10
he used as a vital part of the State
machinery of insurance. There was
not to be a worker without privi-
leses previously belonging only to
few.
Government Responsible.
The Friendly Societies. naturally,
could only give benefits in proportion
tr the amounts received from the
workers. and that less cost of ad-
ministration. The new scheme re-
CURED larger gross subseripton
than he single contribution the work =
ers could afford. The Government
should make itself responsible and
share in the cost
Further, since one result would De
better health and better work from
the employee. his increased economic
value to his employer Should be rep
resented by contribution. from the
latter Further vet, if the working
classes were to appreciate its value
and the vital principle of thrift bA
unimpaired. they must share in the
cost in proportion to their capacity.
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
fourpence," employed by Mr.. Lloyd
George to explain in terms of weekly
contribution what the insured were to
receive. The ninepence (1S cents), Is
made up as follows: From the worker
between the age of 20 on TO .65 years,
fourpence per week: from the en-
ployer threepence and from the State
tWonence. In the case of women. the
total contribution is one penny q
cents) less per week than the male,
her proportion of the above amounts
being only threepenoe.
Advantages Not Limited.
Nor is the advantage to the worker
limited to receiving ninepence worth
Of insurance for fourpenny contri-
hutton. For the State is a the hack
Of all the benefits and will never fail