The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-12-05

quality Of our steel. Then We brought
i The university 10 our help-scfence
serving tndustry-and nothing can
now equal the quality Of shemeld
steel Public eoncerni asi 20 industrial
Competition Is the source from which
the British movement for bread stndies
\ has derived its main strength.
Tags do Technical Education.
Technical or trade schools. taking
the place Of the old apprentice train.
ing, now sadly out Of date. are In.
creasing in England In number and
efficiency. At theSpresent time about
250, 900 boys are attending classes in
1 technical schools for the purpose Of &C.
curing some handicraft. The system
of technical education, however, curl
ously enough in this great manufactur.
ing country, lags behind that of Its
nearest neighbors, Germany and
France. The National Industrial Edu.
cation league-one of the many organi.
cations for educational change-seeks
to remedy this condition by compul.
sorry technical training. "our system OF
industrial education is 80 topsy-turry.H
said one OF the members Of the league,
that boy must commit a crime be.
fore he can be compelled to learn a
trade" In the leagues plan every.
Anything which keeps the worker
in good health and good heart" said
Mr.. Smith, which relieves him from
the necessity OF working when he is
physically unfit to work and frees him
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, 1t may be anticipated that they
will in the long run receive benefits
far out-weighing their contributions.
Relieves undeserNed Poverty.
Tn judging the act" continued Mr..
Smith, you must not consider 1t as
final measure. 1t is only start
though good start--in the campaign
for establishing minimum standard
OF living and comfort below which no
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 preyentable causes of
poverty and unemployment and rails
ing the standard of living for the work
ing classes in this country Poverty
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, infrmity, old
age, insanitary workshops and I'M
healthy dwellings. 1t attacks the slum
owner, penalties the sweater and
makes the health of. the people the
first care OF the state. 1t lays broad
and firm the foundations of a new So
cial policy-a policy OF mutual help
and good will among all members OF
the community, based upon recognf-
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
Liberal-Labor constituency, but the
city which employs labor, gave en-
phatic assent.
10000 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, 100000. OF this amount the work
men contributed $55,0o0,o0o, Twenty
thousand doctors are employed to give
free medical treatment and nine thou.
sand chemists-who are the British
ruggists-furnlsh free drugs. pre-
scribed by these doctors. To the poor
est workingman is given the same
medical treatment and the same pure
medicines and drugs as the richest
duke can afford. About $25,000,o00 has
been paid during the year to doctors
and $5,oo0.oO0 to chemists. Sickness
benefits are paid weekly to 100000
workers. The men get $3.50 week
and the women $1.75 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 beef
set aside $s,0OO,oo0. twenty-five thou
sand workmen have been treated I'M
der the act, 10000 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,