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.
tlready Its Tremendous Effects
for Good Are Being Shown.
Wiping Out of Consumption
To Be One Great Achievement.
Special Correspondence of The Sum
day American.

LONDON, Feb. 21.-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
it embraced,i charged the carrying Of
such a mea sure with the greaest risk.
And he knew that If 1t 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 destroyed
with it. AlL this Lloyd George knew.
but he smiled grimly and went ahead,
After one of the greatest Parlia-
mentary struggles on record he had
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,
there should not be one under IS who,
If his earnings made it impossible to
protect himself by insurance throu gh
ordinary channels. should be denied
insurance against sickness and unem-
ployment under the State guarantee.
Men and women, citizen or alien. AL
were to be insured. The test of their
need for State insurance was whether
their income fell below $500 .per an
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 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 be a worker without privi-
leges previously belonging only to a
few
Government RESPONSIBLE.
The Friendly Societies, naturally,
could only give benefits in proportion
T. the amounts received from the
workers. and that less cost of adj
ministration. The new scheme re-
CURED a 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 contribution from the
latter Further yet. if the working
classes were to appreciate its value
and the vital principle of thrift be
unimpaired, they must share in the
cost in proportion to their capacity
These three contributions of State.
employer and worker. all for the ben
parties, would ena Bile 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 nipepence (1S cents). is
made up as follows: From the worker
between the age OF 20 on 10 SIS years,
fourpence per week. from the en-
ployer threepence and from the State
twopence. 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 threepence.
Advantages Not LIMITED.
Nor is the advantage to the worker
limited to receiving ninepence worth
of insurance for a. fourpenny contri-
hutton. For the State is at the back
OF all the benefits and viii never fail