The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1914-01-01

t 6OOo ia r~a0 5OO0 o0
Mr.. Smith, (which relieves him from
the necessity of working when he is
physically unfit to work and frees him
in the cast OF illness from worry as to
the future, must increase the efficiency
of labor. In 10 way can this be done
so cheaply as by a scientific system OF
insurance such as the act provides.
The increased eff cienoy of the worker
will be far in excess of the total cost
of insurance under the scheme. AS
employers pay only a small part of the
cost, it may be anticipated that they
will in the long run receive benefits
far out-weighing their contributions.
Relieves Jndeserved Poverty.
"In judging the act" continued Mr..
Smith, you must not consider it as
a final measure. 1t is only a start
though a good start-in the campaign
for establishing a 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 a wider program for
dealing with the ~preventable 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, theI
old age pensions act, the public HEALTHY
acts, and the factory acts, all measures
of social reform, which seek to nakel
tomorrow's world better than our
world today, the insurance act endeav-l
ors to remove poverty and distress due
to accident, sickness, ilfirmity, old
age, insanitary workshops and UNI
healthy dwellings. 1t attacks the slumI
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 a recogni-
ton of the fact that the undeserved
poverty or undeserved unemployment
of the humblest member of society Isl
something which closely affects the
general well-being of the state"
And Mr.. Calvert, who represents not,
a 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 15,000,O 600
persons in Great Britain and Ireland
are now insured against sickness,
when before the act there were about
5000, 900. The act raised the first year
$4,000, 900. OF this amount the work
men contributed $55, 000, 900, Twenty
thousand doctors are employed to give
free medical treatment and nine thou
sand chemists-who are the British
druggists-furnish 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 $685. 1000 has
been paid during the year to doctors
and $4,000, 900 to chemists. Sickness
benefits are paid weekly to 100000
workers. The men get $3.50 a week
and the women $1.75 week, because
they pay less.
Maternity benefits amounting to ST.
500,000 have been paid. The birth
rate has at least not been discouraged.
For tuberculosis sanatoriums has been
set aside $4,000, 900. twenty-five thou
sand workmen have been treated I'M
der the ect, $4,000 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,
see the cures wrought, the shadows
No man or woman in the
United Kingdom need lack, under this
act, insurance against sickness, unem,
ployment or the unmerited poverty
which, to the undergrad, so frequently
comes with old age.
But is this not queer business for a
great empire?
Let the best-hated and bestowed
statesman in Great Britain, the author
of the national Insurance act, David
make reply:
adds New Glory to Empire"
"Since 1908, when We had old age
pensions for. the first time, we have
had a great empire for the first time
a direct interest in the condi-
ion Of those aged, those inf1rm, those
sick, and those broken. The old the
Dry was that this was beneath the dig
atty of an empire. The concern of an
was to see that the machinery
If human slaughter was perfect. That
vas the concern Of an empire. To tax
he food Of the people, that is think
ng imperially; but to heal the sick,
feed the hungry, these are thoughts
it only for a parish beadle. There was
| great emperor one who added to
he luster, Of his fame by visiting the
wounded after the battle. Now we
O uo oot fbio nroo+ Rriffcb omniro FOR