The German workman; a study in national efficiency

William Harbutt Dawson

Sujets

• Working class
• Germany

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 5
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

^
;, ,. r '.
GermanHE
Workman
WILLIAM HARBUTT
DAWSON:
"
statesman said some years ago,BritishN eminent
That was before the day ofsocialists now."all\ national insurance law, with whiclpensions and the
leadership of Lloyd-George, Greatthe
such a striking advance in tlV Great has made
tion of state socialism. In general tt
inExperiment
British health insurance bill may be th
sociology
marized as to its provisions
bill requires that a man shall pay 8 cents, tThe insurance
the state 4 cents. In return the insured i6 cents andploycr
by doctor of his own selection frommedical attendance afree
medicines; sick pay at the rate of $2.50 aand free wof doctors,
the next three months and formonth $1.25 for lifefirst three v,
paymentsinvalidism. For women the and beneof permanent
include maternity benefits. It is estimated that 9lower and
3.900.000 women come within the compulsory class amen and
annual fund of $118,000,000 the state will contributhe totalof
$27,000,000.
skilled trades like that of ship buildingcertain highly aIn
insurance against unemployment,also made in exceptning is
payments by the three parties.on further Nation?of strikes,
established the treatmentare also to be for of tuhercuktoriums
could not,of such magnitude of cotSrse,Innovations
serious oppositionwithout encountering of the ci,ted
the ignorantsort, designed to mislead or make a)litical
bill was opposedOddly enough, the by the social!ejudice.
parliament. Their ground ofand out of objection)th in
favor plan of which the beneficiariesdid not any are ;;ey
is an odd fact that the tories tookibutories. It the sam<
to voters to beat the bill on the groundid appealed that
wages.leir
It is a great undertaking to insure the health of a n
ell as a notable departure in statesmanship, and the wc
ic experiment will supply an interesting study in sociolosTHE GERMAN WORKMAN,WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
" German Socialism and Ferdinand Lassalle."
Biographical History German Socialistic MovementsA of
during the igth Century.
" Prince Bismarck and State Socialism."
An Exposition of the Social and Economic Legislation
of Germany under the New Empire. (Also Editions in
German and Italian.)
" Germany and the Germans." vols.).(2
'
"German Life in Town and Country.
"Protection in Germany."
A History of German Fiscal Policy during the 19th
Century.
" Social Switzerland.'
Studies of Present-day Social Movements and Legislation
in the Swiss Republic.
" Matthew Arnold and his Relation to the
Thought of our Time.'
An Appreciation and a Criticism.THE GERMAN WORKMAN
A STUDY IN NATIONAL
EFFICIENCY
BY
WILLIAM HARBUTT JDAWSON
"Author of Germany and the Germans,"
" German Socialism and Ferdinand Lassalle,"
"Prince Bismarck and State Socialism,"
" Social Switzerland," Etc.
"IFlew ^OXk:
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS.
ILonDon : p. s. kino & son.
1906FRINTKRSBRADBURV, AGNRW, & CO. LD.,
LONDON AN-n TONBRIDOE.CONTENTS
REGISTRIESI. LABOUR .... I
LABOUR BUREAU . . l8II. MUNICH .
INSURANCE AGAINST WORKLESSNESS .III. 2g
IV. THE RELIEF OF WANDERING WORKERS . 37
V. LABOUR COLONIES 48
FOR THE UNEMPLOYED .VI. RELIEF WORKS 79
HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES . jSVII.
VIII. MUNICIPAL HOUSE BUREAUX . . . 120
FOR THE HOMELESS . . I25IX. SHELTERS
X. THE ANTI-CONSUMPTION CRUSADE . . I35
XI. THE BERLIN CONVALESCENT HOMES . I47
IN THE SCHOOL • I56XII. THE DOCTOR . .
XIII. MUNICIPAL PAWNSHOPS .... 168
ARBITRATIONXIV. INDUSTRIAL COURTS OF . 176
INSURANCE LAWS. . I94XV. THE INDUSTRIAL
•.imMryvi CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAG»
XVI. workmen's secretariates . . . 2l6
XVII. MUNICIPAL INFORMATION BUREAUX . . 242
XVIII. THE GERMAN POOR LAW . . . 246
XIX. THE ELBERFELD POOR RELIEF SYSTEM . 260
TREATMENT OF INDUSTRIAL MALIN-XX. THE
GERING 275
WORKHOUSE .XXI, THE BERLIN . . 283
XXII. DRESDEN MUNICIPAL WORKHOUSE . . 293—
INTRODUCTION,
Speaking in the Reichstagon February 6, 1906,
Imperial Minister of theCount Posadowsky, the
:Interior, said
" If Germany has just experienced a vast indus-
trial expansion equalled by no other country in the
world during the same time, it is chieflydue to the
efficiency of its workers. But this efficiency must
inevitably have suffered had we not secured to our
legislation ofworking classes, by the social recent
years, a tolerable standard of life, and had we not,
far guaranteed their physicalso as was possible,
health. Quite recently a representative of the
assured me of this in eloquentchemical industry
words."
is not needed to enforce aIn truth eloquence
truth which cannot have escaped the attention of
German social legislationany careful student of
and social reform institutions. Nevertheless,
may aptly serve as aCount Posadowsky's words
motto for the present volume, since they exactly
from which the writerdefine the standpoint
approached his task That task was to showhowviii INTRODUCTION.
German statesmen and philan-at every turn
unabatedthropists have endeavoured—and with
still endeavouring—to ensure and to safe-zeal are
efficiency, leavingguard the conditions of physical
far aslittle as possible to chance, covering asas
whole range of life and action, andmay be the
system whichdoing it with the thoroughness and
andcharacteristic of the German mind,are so
English people would but believe andwhich, if
progressunderstand, are the key to all Germany's
in those practical and material concerns which
nowadays increasingly engross the attention of
nations.
without employment ? All thatIs the workman
municipal and associated effort, skilfully co-ordi-
efficiently directed, can do to find himnated and
work is promptly done. For the workless manwho
thinks he can better his prospects in a new home
the Relief Station exist, and theythe Herberge and
offer the traveller hospitable lodging and food by
the To the needs ofthe miscellaneous crowdway.
of unemplo3^ed whose love ofsteady industry is not
alwaysabovesuspicion,Labour Colonies, conducted
both on industrial and agricultural lines, minister
in their special way. In the towns exceptional
seasonal distress is more and more met by the
provision of public works. To encourage the
provident a method of insurance against workless-
ness has been introduced in some towns.
Does the workman wish tochange his dwelling ?
The municipality has a house agency of its own.