The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-09-30
SOCIAL INSURANCE
LAUDED BY EXPERT
Health Insurance viii Be Next
Step in Workmen's
*Program.~:~

step IN Workmen s
~Program.~.>
Miss Edna Meeker; secretary of the
Associated Charities Of this city, has
returned from Saltwater where she
was elected second vice president at
the state conference of Charities and
Corrections. -
= OF the many subjects discussed at
the meetings, perhaps the most i'm
portant one was "Social Insurance"
that a social insurance bill will be pre-
-:;ted when the legislature meets
next year. The chief speaker was
John B. Anderson of New York city,
secretary OF the American Association
for Labor Legislation. "
Health insurance is the next step
i'll social Insurance., the workmen's
compensation law ha ing been the
first" Miss Meeker said, relative to
Mr.. Anderson's address. "The work.
mems compensation law brought
about the present safety first pro-
gram and health insurance will give
health first as a watchword. THE
proposed plan is for the state to pay
one-fifth, the employer two-fifths and
the employe >two-fifths Of the per
cent cost. For example, il an en-
'''oye earns SO week, he would
pay ~ cents, his einplt yer - cents
and the state 6 cents. It would be
q good investment on the port of de-
tendency of both children and adults
1t would benefit the employer because
it would mean that his EMPLOYEES
would give better and, in an increas-
ing number of cases., more continu-
Gus service. It would directly and
indirectly serve even the employe
who boasts that he is never ill, for
more time would be devoted to the
enforcement of health precautions
and ways would be devised to- MAIN
tain health in factories, shops and
stores and for workers in the open.
1T is not insurance against in
valdism, as it is recommended that
benefits be paid for maximum of
rs weeks in one year and the employe
would be entitled to them only after
service of three months.
Health insurance physicians will
receive compensation for much of the
work they now do without charge. It
will make a great deal of public and
private relief giving unnecessary and
will relieve families of many en-
p1oyes from the dread of losing their
economic independence"
Supported by Unions.
Several international unions have
pledged themselves to support this
movement for health insurance,
which would be compulsory as it is
in most of the European countries
Many millions Of dollars were lost in
wages last year as it has been esti-
mated that 100000 persons in the
United States are i'll any day Of the
year.
Since the passage of the workmen's
compensation law in Wisconsin, five
years ago, accidents have been re-
duced 81 per cent.
Health insurance would make medi-
cal and surgical supplies assured. If
necessary for a. person to have hos
pltal or sanitorium care his family
would receive one-half the cash they
would receive if he were at home.
Alexander Johnson of Philadelphia,
| field secretary of the committee on
! provision for the feeble minded, who
spoke at the conference, will give two
talks in Duluth Friday under the
auspices of the Twin Ports Social
Service club. Mayor w. I. Prince will
preside at the noon meeting which
will be held in the dining room Of the
Commerci L club and Fred Ward,
superintendent of the work farm, will
preside at the meeting which will be
held at o'clock in the evening in
the auditorium of the Commercial
club. The evening meeting will be
open to the public.
Feeble Minded.
DR.. Johnson, whose subject was
"Providing for the Mentally Defective
Child" said:
THE feeble minded are children in
mind and must always be thought of
as children. They are graded accord
ing to their mental age. Those who
are below two years mentally are
called idiots, those of: the next mental
development are known as imbeciles,
fand the highest type are called mo-
rons. Very successful results have
been obtained by placing imbeciles in
charge of idiots and morons in charge
of imbeciles;;: as the responsibility
makes them happy" = ',:
There are 1900; persons at the state
institution for the feeble minded at
F'aribault, with 400 on the waiting
list. DR.. johnson thought that at
a; conservative estimate there" are
5000 or 1000 feeble minded persons
in the state who are not in .institu-
tions: DR.. Frederick >Knhlman of the
Faribault school gave 1t as his opin-
ion. that at least $4,000 feeble minded
persons In the state are not in insti-
tutions. or this number many are
of the higher type of feeble minded
ness. . 49,, .'.:.....
/ Walter r: Ramsey Of St. Paul; who
spoke on Milk Supply and Its Rela-
ton to Public Health, ," was very en-
phatic in his Recommendation that all
milk be pasteurized. *;'-' ~
DR.. Burnside Foster Of st. Paul,
who spoke on the social evil, said
that the knowledge Of it should not
come from moving pictures, lectures
and Spromiscuous reading; but from
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