The first prosecution under the Insurance Act took place at
the Lambeth Police Court on Tuesday. The defendant, Mr. Hurlock, a well-known Walworth draper, employing over 100 hands, who is also a prominent local Liberal, was summoned for failing to pay the contributions due from him under the Act in respect of his employees. Counsel for the defendant argued that the Act constituted a special contract, that conditions precedent to the contract were imposed upon the Commissioners, and that no con- tributions were payable under the Act until the Insurance Commissioners were ready with the benefits which the Act provided.—The Under Secretary to the National Insurance Commission for England, who was called, stated that the regulations governing medical benefit were still being drafted, and had not yet been issued.—Mr. Baggallay, the magistrate, refused to admit the relevancy of this argument. It was not for him in this case to decide whether the Government or the Insurance Commissioners had made the necessary arrangements or not for the administra- tion of the benefits of the Act. He had simply got to consider whether or not the contributions had been made as they ought to have been made. As it was clear that Mr. Hurlock had deliberately intended not to carry out the intentions of the Act, he imposed a penalty of £5 on each of three summonses, with £5 5s. costs on the first, and ordered him to pay the contributions due in each case.
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