Widnes Examiner. — 1911-11-18 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

LOCAL PARLIAMENT.  INSURANCE BILL APPROVED.  The debate on the Insurance :Bill which was before the" House" at its previous sitting was concluded at the meeting of the Parliamentary Debating Society on Tuesday evening. 'Die resolution introduced by Councillor J. Hawthorn (the Home Secretary), was as follows: "That this house welcomes the introduction into the House of Commons of tte National Insurance Bill by the Chancellor of the Exchequer believing that this great scheme of National Insurance against invalidity and unemployment will lifts dead weight off the lives of an immense multitude of men and women in Great Britain and trusts that the measure will soon become the law of the land."  Captain H. G. ROBERTS (Secretary of State for War), ia supporting the resolution said that the attempt that was being made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to relieve the great distress the country suffered from during the period of trade depression in I outbreaks of sickneae, were matters which ought to have not only the support but the cordial approval of the whole country. The bulk of the work under the Bill war going to 'be performed by the Friendly Societies who would remain in the same position they occupied to-day. The officials, however, would be found in the General Post Office together with a supply of clerks. Voluntasy payment was better than compulsion, bat if it was left to the worker he would not provide for the periods of sickness and unemployment and no it was necessary that compulsion should be brought to bear upon him. If the Bill became law as be was sure that it would—(opposition cries of" No ") --a man would always be sure of obtaining his les a week. The relief of the sick man from the thought that he would be unable to provide the necessary food and clothing for those dependeot upon him would tend to a more rapid return to breadth than would be the case under the conditions of the present day. (Applause.) Mr. Makestaf It) (C. Paisley) then rase to submit the following amendment That this House while it welcomes any scheme having for its object nati .nal insurance against sickness, invalidity, and unemployment repine the conspicuous failure of his Majesty's present ministers adequately to deal with the question in the measure subrnitlei to the House, and trusts that as a result of the present diecunions in Parliament and the country, a sane, sensible and workable scheme may be developed, embodying the generally expressed sympathy of all parties towards such a desirable object." Mr. lA'srs•Liff-Jons (the Prime Minister) : That is no &meta:meat but a direct negative to the resolution That should have been brought forward last week. The SPEAKER ruled the amendment inadmissable on the ground that it was a direct negative, but eventually the amendment was accepted as a resolution. Mr. MCDERm ID said that from the time the Bill was introduced it bad been a conspicuous failure ; every day it had been chopped ' until it Basin such a position as to be almost unrecog, nisoble. A Government never had abetter opportunity of dealing with a great national question,as the support of the State was with them on the principle of the I measure. The Bill au first received with acclammation on all sides of the House but upon being looked Into it was found that there had never been a Bill containing as many failures. (Laughter.) It did sot even attempt to deal with those in the most need—those over 65 years of age, with whom the liaL ility for sick' seas was more manifest. With regard to tha question of the Friendly Societies taking the matter over, and I speaking as one who had been a member of one of those organisations for a quarter of century, he would say that the Friendly Societies had been betrayed, but were now refusing to he murdered. (Applause.) If they did agree to be murdered, however, they would not commit suicide. (laughteir.) They were agreed that the result of this measure must inevitably be to "snuff " them out, if not immediately, by degrees. The day the Bill was passed they would cease to be a great asset of the country. The Bill would also destroy the voluntary institutions—the infirmaries sod hospitals. Something like £4,600,000 was annually being raised and expended for these it:Haiti:Hone and he made bold lousy tht.t that work could not be carried on by the Government with double the amount. The scheme in its effect was a direct additional taxation on the workers and industries without giving any relief in any other direction. Mr. PETER DEVONPOR't (C. Walt Salford) seconded the amendment and said that he thought the matter was going ahead at too fast a pace. Mr. M. HOWARTH (President of the Board of Trade) moved that the amendment Se rejected cu the ground that there had been no alternative scheme to the original resolution. He emphaticatly denied that the Friendly Societies and Trade Unions did not agree with the Bill, they had nothing but the highest praisa for it. He challenged the House to point out • previous Bill which had been so widely discussed and laid before the country for as long a period as this one. Mr. Lloyd George had taken the most infinite pains to meet every issue or interest that was concerned. lie thought the reason why the Opposition were wishing to hold up the Bill was because if it was allowed to get into working order before the next election they knew that they would have to submit to a further term in the wilderness. He looked upon that Bill as the most important measure that bad yet been placed bef. r the House, ea it would lesson the amouot of misery to a greeter degree than any previous measure. Mr. W. WATSoN (Soc., East Birmingham) said that the Bill should he framed on a non-contributory basis. He thought that the Government would have been acting inS more sensible manner if it had been proposed to expend this money on the demolition of slum dwellings. Mr. G.