74 THE MURDER OF AGRICULTURE 



gifts from the firm. A committee of the men go into 

 every application for aid and decide whether the case 

 merits support. This is done in order to eliminate those 

 who simulate sickness or distress, and do away with any 

 risks of reckless benevolence. 



" Throughout the whole Empire the provisions of the 

 Imperial social legislation are effective, and throughout 

 that part of the Empire through which we have been 

 passing the action of the employers is also effective. The 

 German workmen are insured against accidents, against 

 sickness and against infirmity and old age. They have 

 no premium whatever to pay for the insurance against 

 accidents, this being settled by the employers alone; 

 the employers pay one-third and the employed two- 

 thirds of the premium against sickness; and the pre- 

 mium against old age and premature infirmity is distri- 

 buted equally between employers and employed. 



" The State further pays a contribution by under- 

 taking all the expense of administration, free of charge, 

 and by adding a money consideration to the old age and 

 premature infirmity pensions. 



" By being thus insured the workpeople acquire a 

 right, as citizens, to allowance in case of disability to 

 work through accidents, sickness and premature infir- 

 mity or old age. These allowances are not of the nature 

 of donations to paupers; but of allowances to which 

 they have acquired a right as citizens. In order to 

 acquire these rights as citizens the workpeople also con- 

 tribute to the premiums, as well as the employer; and 

 the State, as a body, pays the expenses of administra- 

 tion. These contributions of the employers, on the one 



