Evening star., 1946-02-03

! ldtC III ulu-dkO pCIl6lOI1STS Is III
shillings ($2.00) weekly at 65 years
and a further 10 shillings for his
wife at so. Under the new proposals,
he will receive 26 shillings $500
per week at IS years while married
couple will receive AZ shillings
($8.4O per week If the wife is 60
years. For every six months he re-
mains at work until he is 10 years
OF age, when his pension is stabil-
lied, he will receive an extra 2
shillings weekly and his wife will
receive the same amount. A widow,
at go, will receive 26 shillings per
week and there is proportional pro-
lection for younger widows.
The range of this category can be
seen from the fact that there are
some 100000 old-age pensioners
and that the scheme for them will
begin to operate from August, 1916.
1t will, indeed. be a boon and a
blessing to the old people OF Great
Britain.
Every woman in confinement will
receive a maternity grant of "a
($16). If, though married, she is
working, she receives in addition
maternity allowance of SO shillings
t$7.20) weekly provided she does
not work for six weeks before and
seven weeks after the birth of her
child. If she keeps a home going,
she receives an attendance allow
ance of FL ($44 weekly for four
weeks to enable her to pay for do
mestic help in the house to replace
her own normal service.
Burial Grant Provided.
Where the death occurs of an
adult in family, there is funeral
grant of f20 $500, which decreases
with the deaths of younger persons
to a minimum of s6 ($24) as a
funeral grant for a child under 3.
The Importance of this part of the
scheme is that it will end the CEN
tury-old scandal of burial soci-
ties" which enables both the great
insurance companies and the little
local clubs to make large sums an
nually from lapsed premiums.
All persons under the national
insurance scheme will also enjoy
the benefit of the National Health
Service without any additional pay
ment. Mr.. Griffths has further
provided for the creation of a ma
tional advisory council reporting
annually to Parliament to which any
insured person who feels unjustly
treated may petition either orally
or In writing, and the Minister of
National Insurance must submit
to this committee any regulations
he proposed to take under the act
for discussion.
The minister may also, with the
of Parliament, accept re-
sponsibility for any supplementary
scheme in industry or occupations
so long as a great majority of those
benefited thereby approve of it. But
any one who desires may contract
out OF a supplementary scheme.
Where 1t Is accepted, it is quite clear
that there will be an immense saw
ing in the administration of private
pension and the insurance schemes
by thus bringing them all under a
single department.
Maintains Purchasing Power.
The bill is not merely one of the
great social advances of modern
times in the field of social legisla-
ton. Hardly less important, it is a
very valuable contribution to the
maintenance of full employment be-
cause 1t maintains the purchasing
power OF the masses either in periods
of depression or in such special oc-
casions as sickness or old age. 1t is
d valuable safeguard against the
tendency of family, either when
> new member is born or an old one
lies, to run into debt with all the
difticulties workers meet in graphing
With debt-not the least of which
icing the tendency to succrmb to
he loan shark" with his fantastic
'ates of interest and inexorable
pressure on the most helpless part
If the population.
On the day this bill will become
aw, a new epoch will have dawned
n the lives of the masses of Britain.
FOR the first time in their history
hey will have real security against |
want. Griffiths, who has himself as |
Welsh miner known unemploy-
nent and poverty at first hand, will |
'e able to recall with pride that it |
victim of evil and indefensible
ystem who has first struck a re-
ounding blow at the root of the
it creates. He has, indeed |
he right to be proud of his han