December, 1911.] 



537 Agricultural Finance & Co-operation. 



article in the August Number of the 

 Bulletin of Economic and Social In- 

 stitute of Agriculture, 



The first, founded in 1910, is the " Horti- 

 culturists' Mutual Society against Pro- 

 fessional Risks." On the 1st January, 

 1910, it had already 2,392 members, whose 

 wages amounted to 3,192,689 florins 

 (equal to 6,651,010 frs.) 



The second and more powerful or- 

 ganiztion began working on the 1st 

 January, 1910, under the name of the 

 " Farmers' Mutual Society." It is divided 

 into local and provincial mutual societies, 

 with a Central Society in Amsterdam. 

 While the two former classes undertake 

 direct insurance, the Central acts as 

 their Re-insurance Society. 



In case of accidents, the society pays 

 the doctor, except in cases of small 

 importance, for which there is no com- 

 pensation. 



If there is complete disablement, com- 

 pensation is calculated at 75 % of the 

 wages ; in case of only partial disable- 

 ments, the compensation given is less, 

 and its amount is fixed for the first two 

 months by the local commission and 

 afterwards by the Central Management. 

 An arbitration commission composed of 

 employers and labourers settles dis- 

 putes. 



The insured pay an annual contribu- 

 tion varying from J % to 2 % of their 

 wages, in addition to an entrance fee 

 paid by the employer, and also calculated 

 on the wage : 3 florins (16-25 Fr.) for 

 wages above If florin (Fr. 3-125), 1| fl. 

 (Fr. 3-125) for wages between 1| fl. 

 (Fr. 3-125) and £ fl. (Fr. 1 042) and 1 florin 

 for those under | fl. (Fr. 1-042). 



The results of the Farmers' Mutual 

 Society" have been excellent ; suffice it 

 to say that on the 31st May, 1911, that is, 

 after hardly a year and a half of work, 

 it had already 7,839 members, whose 

 wages were 11,460,878 florins (equal to 

 23,875,301 Fr,). 



2. Invalidity and Old Age Insurance. 



Last May a Bill was introduced into 

 the Dutch Parliament for Invalidity and 

 Old Age Pensions. This bill, though not 

 the first dealing with this difficult 

 subject in Holland — for it had been 

 preceded by others in 1902, 1905 and 

 1907 — is of remarkable interest for its 

 completeness audits technical character. 

 We reproduce some details from the 

 last Bulelin of Social and Economic 

 Intelligence, published by the Inter- 

 national Institute of Agriculture (Rome, 

 31st August), 



The Dutch Bill proposes the compulsory 

 insurance of all those who have ibeen 

 68 



employed in paid labour for sixteen 

 years. 



For the purposes of insurance, the 

 workmen are divided into five classes, 

 according as their annual wage3 amounts 

 to 240, 400, 600, 900 florins (equal to 

 500, 833, 1,250 and 1,875 francs), or more. 



The premium, to be paid every week, 

 is fixed according to the class of the 

 workman at 0'20, 0-24, 0*32, 0'40, or 0'48 

 florins (0-42, 0'50, 0-67, 0'83, POO f r,). 



Half Is paid by the workman and half 

 by the employer. The workman's half 

 may be paid by the employer out of his 

 wage. 



In case of disablement the workman 

 always has a right to pension, even if the 

 disablement is only temporary, but in 

 any case not lasting less than six months. 



Old age pensions are due to all those 

 who have completed twenty years and 

 have paid 1,248 weekly premiums. 



By the Bill the pensions are calculated : 

 On the basis of the total amount of 

 premiums paid by the insured, multi- 

 plied by 325 and divided by the 

 number of weeks from the day the work- 

 man began insuring : to the result 10 % 

 of the total amount of premiums paid is 

 added. 



The provisions in this bill for Orphans 3 

 pensions are also worthy of note. These 

 can be claimed by children of less than 

 thirteen years at the death of an insured 

 parent (father or widowed mother) with 

 claim to pension. 



While imposing the above system of 

 compulsory insurance, the bill allows of 

 voluntary insurance with the State 

 Insurance Bank for more highly paid 

 workmen, desirous of larger pensions, 

 or for those for whom insurance is not 

 compulsory. 



As a contribution to the expenses, 

 especially high at the beginning, the 

 Government should give a subsidy of 

 5£ million florins (17,708,200 Fr.) for a 

 period of 75 years ; by no means a small 

 sum, but well spent when we consider 

 that the number of the compulsorily 

 insured would be about 1,330,000 persons. 



(Summarised from the Bulletin of 

 Social and Economise Intelligence, 

 No. 8, Year 11, August 31st, 1911, pub- 

 lished by the International Institute of 

 Agriculture. 



