INSURANCE OF AGRICUI^TURAL I,ABOURERS 55 



for injuries done by motor cars or motor cycles or firearms or vehicles not 

 used for farm work. There is a further limitation of insurance of liabil- 

 ity, in that the maximum eventual compensation is fixed at 10,000 florins 

 in case of one person being injured and at 25,000 florins in case of more 

 victims, and at 2,500 florins in case of damage to property. 



A special separate branch of the institute has been started for the 

 insurance of domestic servants against sickness, the master having to 

 provide them, in terms of article 1,638-y above mentioned, with medical 

 attendance and treatment for six weeks. Many ofiices have been opened 

 for this purpose, the work of which is independent of that of the otber 

 insurance branches. 



We shall now briefly consider the benefits provided for the insured 

 labourers by this voluntary institution. In establishing the regulations 

 for accidents in work, the benefits the law of 190 1 granted to the in- 

 dustrial workmen have been taken as a standard. There has, however 

 been some departure from that standard in various points of detail. 



The labourer, first of all, receives medical treatment, unless this has 

 been provided for in some other way. Besides this, compensation is given to 

 him for the disablement caused by the accident. And as this compensation 

 is given for loss of wages, it must be calculated upon the wages. In case, 

 however, the disablement lasts only a few days, no compensation is given, 

 since it is not held advisable to relieve the master of the obligation, imposed 

 by article 1,638-c of the Civil Code, of continuing the payment of wages in 

 the first days of sickness and also because compensations for accidents of 

 small moment cause disproportionate labour and expenditure. The term 

 for which no compensation is paid was at first 10 days, but, in con- 

 sequence of requests from various quarters, it was reduced to 5 days, from 

 January ist., 1913. 



In case of disablement lasting more than 5 (at first 10) days from the 

 date of the accident, a distinction must be made between temporary and 

 permanent disablement. In case of temporary disablement the labourer 

 receives 70 % of the wages he would presumably have received; if, 

 however, the disablement is only partial, the compensation is reduced in 

 proportion. The expenditure is borne, up to the end of the first two 

 months, by the provincial associations and after that by the Central 

 Society. 



In case of permanent disablement or permanent reduction of working 

 capacity, a pension is granted that may amount at most to 70% of the wages, 

 and is fixed in proportion to the degree of diminution of working capacity. 

 Instead of a pension, the management and administration may grant the 

 labourer, if he desires it and it is considered to his interest, a lump sum of 80% 

 of the capitalised value of the pension. If the working capacity is dimin- 

 ished by less than one tenth, in any case a lump sum is paid. In fact, a di- 

 minution of so little importance is easily compensated by the man himself 

 after a little time adapting himself to the circumstances ; and besides 

 pensions of absolutely insignificant amounts are of Httle value for the 

 pensioners, while they are a source of heavy expense to the insurance office. 



