The people's insurance / explained by the chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Hon. David Lloyd George.

  • Lloyd George, David, 1863-1945.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The people's insurance / explained by the chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Hon. David Lloyd George. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    I will not stop to account for it. After all, the oldest friendly socie- ties in the world are burial societies. All that I would say here is we do not propose to deal with insurance ag-ainst death. It is no part of our scheme at all, partly because the ground has been very thoroughly covered, although not very satisfactorily covered, and also be- cause this, at any rate, is the easiest part of the problem and is a part of the problem which is not beset with the difBculties of vested interests. Fortun- ately, all the vested interests which deal with sickness and unemployment are of a thoroughly unselfish and bene- ficent character, and we shall be able, I think, to assist them, not merely with- out interfering with their rights and privileges, but by encouraging them to do the excellent work they have com- menced and which they are doing so well. Against Sickness Sickness comes next in the order of urgency in the working-class mind. There are over 6,000,000 policies— that is hardly the word, perhaps, for friendly societies—but there is provi- sion made by 6,000,000 people against sickness. Most of it includes a pro- vision for medical aid. There are, I think, about 300,000 or 400,000 mem- bers who have insured for medical aid alone, but I think, almost without ex- ception, the friendly societies include medical relief in the provision which they make. That is not, I think, the case with the trade unions. There are 700,000 members in the trade unions insured for sick benefits, but I do not think that includes medical relief. In addition to those, there are a good many unregistered assurances at works, where a man leaves a shilling a month at the office for the purpose of paying the works' doctor. I should say, therefore, that between 6,000,000 and 7,ooOjOoo people in this country have made some provision against sick- ness not all of it adequate, and a good deal of it defective. Against Unemployment Then comes the third class, the in- surance against unemployment. Here not a tenth of the working classes have made any provision at all. You have only got 1,400,000 workmen who have insured against unemployment. It is true that perhaps about half of the em- ployment of this country is not affected by the fluctuations of trade. I do nof think agricultural labourers or railway servants are affected quite to the same: extent. Then there is provision fo^ short time in some of the trades. Take ing the precarious trades affected by unemployment, I do not believe morn than one-third or one-quarter of th( people engaged in them are insurec against unemployment. That is the provision made at thf present moment by the working classes: 42,000,000 policies agains death, about 6,100,000 who have mad some kind of provision against sick ness, and 1,400,000 who have mad some provision against unemployment Why the Government is taking Action Now comes the question which lead up to the decision of the Governmer to take action. What is the explanation that onl a portion of the working classes hav made provision against sickness an against unemployment? Is it that the consider it not necessary? Quite the reverse, as I shall prove b figures. In fact, those who stand mo: