The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-08-26
HEALTH INSURANCE : !.
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:. looming. CO An IN CANADA
Liberty Parry Adopts Plank: to:
%. o.: :]ProXide Compulsory Protec. ::
: 80: Mon For Workers.

The National Liberal party Of Cam
ada ., led by, Sir Wilfrid Laurier has
adopted g.. plank for compulsory
Meath insurance Of wage-earners. ma:
ternity benefits to be included, as part
OF OF its program for the election fol.
lowing the conclusion OF the war.
Leading Canadian newspapers antici-
pate that in order to retain it's popu-
lar1ty' the Conservative party will,
adopt similar progressive :program
OF social legislation. 1t is expected.
therefore, that health insurance 1awa
Will be enacted in Canada in the early
days Of reconstruction. ..."' 3 :,
Compulsory health Insurance. Of.
Wage-earners based on joint coi1tribu--
lions from the state, employers and
employees has been established I'M Ger
many, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Great
Britain. Holland and Norway, Rou.
mania and Serbia. In most of these,
| countries both cash and medical bene-
| fits are provided for the insured
workers, and effective: campaigns for:
the prevention Of sickness have be-
| come general -: :
A model health insurance bill on
lines suited to American conditions
has been drafted by the American
| Association for Labor Legislation.
This bill has strong backing through
out the country and. 1t il announced,
will be introduced into more than
twenty state Legislatures next year. :;
| Exhaustive Investigation.
| The Russell Sage Foundation has
just published a report following an
exhaustive study Of Industrial condi-
tons in Springfield, Illinois. The re-
| port states:
There still remains a large amount
Of occupational sickness which falls
as a disproportionately heavy eco
nomic and physical burden upon the
shoulders Of the worker. It should
not be his loss. but should at least be
shared by the industry and the public;
A method to this end is found in
health insurance. It. is believed,
moreover, as in the case Of workmen's
compensation laws, that health insur-
ance legislation will act as a power
full force for the development Of
measures for the prevention of dis
ease"
Five and one-half million workers
OF America toll under conditions
which render them specially liable to
contract pulmonary tuberculosis, &C.
cording to a statement made by DR..
F. s. Crum, statistician to the Pri-
Dental Insurance Company at con-
ference OF physicians arranged by tie
Pennsylvania STATE, Department ST
Labor. Campaigns for the prevention
Of tuberculosis have been greatly
stimulated in Great Britain and other
countries having universal health In
| =: -: ~ - - 7:r,. ~
MADISON, Wis.,, Aug. 24:-Recent
reports by the United States; Public
Health service, the commission on In
1"dustrial Relations, and the federal de-
| partme1it Of labor, all indicating ehor-
nous suffering and economic loss
! among wage earners on account. of
sickness, have stimulated keen inter-
est in health insurance legislation.
| The Wisconsin Federation Of Labor,
! at it's recent annual convention, voted
to conduct a vigorous legislative cam
paign next winter, and the American
Association for Labor Legislation is
out with a smodel bill which it an
nounces will be introduced into more
than 20 state legislatures next, jan
uary.
| At the University of Wisconsin this
year, the joint debate was fought out
on the issues involved in compulsory
health insurance, with an almost
unanimous decision Of the Judges in
its favor. One of the recent grad
yates. Mr.. Louis Bloch, prepared a
plan for the Introduction Of health in
surance in Wisconsin which was &C.
cepted by the faculty as thesis for
the academic degree. Mr.. -Bloch's
proposal is similar to the plan worked
out with great care, and published
from the New York headquarters by
the American Association for Labor
Legislation, Of whose staff MIR. Bloch
is now member.
Provisions of Model Bill.
Briefly stated, the model bill Of the
association provides universal insur-
ance against sickness for all manual
workers and all others earning less
than 800 month. Benefits include
medical treatment and medicines, as
we'll as a cash compensation equal to
two-thirds of wages during sickness,
but not to exceed 26 weeks in any
one year. There IL also a burial bene-
fit Of $50. Contributions are to be
paid in equal amounts by employers
and employees, and the state will add
lcne-fourth to the total as it's share,
and will supervise the funds which
! are to be mutually managed. Careful
! students Of the subject declare this
plan will result in Health First"
movement equal In importance to the
safety First campaign which fol-
lowed the enactment Of workmen's
compensation laws. -,
California and Massachusetts, have
official commissions which are now
Ipreparing reports, on health insurance
for their Legislatures, and close OBJ
servers predict there will be pioneer
legislation, on this subject in a number
lot states in 1917.
tFIGHTING FOR RIGHT TO UNITE.
> ---MDNQMINEE, Mich, Aug. 81
] TbsM enominee (Mich.), and Mari
: nette CWis.) Trades and Labor Couh-
! cAa 10, defending the right Of workers
i in, the twin, cities to Join labor unions,