In the House of Commons on Monday the Second Reading
debate upon the Insurance Bill was concluded. Mr. Ramsay Macdonald., in' the course of a speech on the whole very favourable to the Bill, pointed out that the old assumption by which State aid and State organization were regarded as susPect seemed to have been thrown over by eveiybody. He went on to say that the Labour Party did not consider the proportion of the contributions fair. They were in favour of 3d. a week each being paid by the workman, the employer, and the State. Mr. Macdonald also criticized the provisions for women. Mr. Austen Chamberlain followed with a detailed but friendly criticism of the scheme. He concluded by an examination of the finance of the Bill, as to which he was not satisfied. We are bound to say that the more the Bill is discussed the more clearly do its crudities, risks, and incidental injustices become apparent. It is possible that discussion of the details, careful and unhurried, might produce a workable measure, but we are certain that if the Bill is forced through before the end of August a most defective and dangerous piece of legislation must be the result. Time is needed to arrive at a proper understanding of the exact effects of the Bill. In spite of the positive assertions in the newspapers, we cannot believe that the Government really mean to rush the Bill through Parlia- ment. If the Opposition make themselves a party to so mad a proposal they will commit a very grave mistake.
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