Beveridge Report Critics
The condemnation of the Beveridge Report by the Industri Life Offices Association was not unexpected, is not on the whol impressive and will do little to shake confidence in Sir Will Beveridge's work. The Beveridge scheme stands or falls by th principle that there should be comprehensive insurance for every one, administered by a Minister of Social Security and on th basis of a single payment for all purposes by employer an employed. That precludes the possibility of leaving industri insurance in the hands of limited companies, even if their work that field were more satisfactory than it is. The wastefulness the competition between rival offices, and of the collection of mo from door to door week by week—amounting in the years to 7s. 6d. in the £ on premiums paid—stands condem moment it is described, and the proportion-of lapsed policies the existing schemes is a further condemnation in itself. Ut the Beveridge plan all contributions will be covered by the sing stamp affixed weekly to the insurance-card, and there can be possibility of any lapse. The complaint that an army of collect° will be thrown out of work is met in advance by Sir William proposal for the creation of an Industrial Insurance Board whi would either employ or compensate the existing staffs of Industrial Insurance offices. It is neither surprising nor repr hensible that the Insurance offices should be on the alert to def their interests, but when the public interest so clearly lies in t opposite direction the public will know what to do about it.
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