Note Mr. Balfour's commentary on the question as it now stands

And so I think they (the Radicals) are predestined, reluctantly, against their better instincts, "and with many misgivings, but still predestined, "to take up Home Rule again.”—At_Manchester, January 30th, 1899.

THEY MAY SAY WHAT THEY PLEASE, BUT HOME RULE ON NATIONALIST TERMS WILL HAVE TO BE THEIR POLICY.

The National Liberal Federation makes the absurd claim that the Unionist policy of Local Government for Ireland was due to their advocacy

of the Irish Question.

"It was not the first time as "it would probably not be the last that the Tory "Government had passed into law a measure for "which their opponents had furnished the driving "power."

To expose the fallacy of this contention, it is only necessary to quote Mr. Gladstone's opinion on local government for Ireland:

"The limitation of local government in Ireland to "what may at this moment be desired for Great Britain, "is just to none of our nationalities, rests upon no "recognised principle, and is especially an unjust limita"tion of the Irish National desire. In my opinion "such a policy for dealing with the Irish Question ought not to be, and cannot "be, adopted." Irish Question" by

W. E. Gladstone, 1886.

"The

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A CREAT SOCIAL REFORM.

THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACT, which was passed by the present Unionist Government and came into force on the 1st July, 1898, is one of the most important measures for the benefit of the working classes .ever adopted in this country.

2

It gives effect to the principle, so long and earnestly advocated by Mr. Chamberlain, that workmen are entitled to compensation for all accidents met with in the course of their daily work, and that such compensation should be regarded as part of the cost of production.

EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY ACT.

Under the old Employers' Liability Act (1880) compensation was only paid for accidents proved to be due to the fault of the employer or some one in authority. If they were due to the fault of a fellowworkman, or to some unknown cause called the "Act of God," no compensation was paid. It was so difficult for the workman to prove where the fault lay that only in a comparatively few cases was compensation obtained, and the money was frequently swallowed up by legal expenses; so that the actual benefit to the sufferers was very limited.

MR. ASQUITH'S PROPOSALS.

The last Gladstonian Government attempted in 1893 to deal with the question. Mr. Asquith brought in a Bill which proposed to extend somewhat the liability of employers. Its chief feature was the "abolition of the doctrine of common employment." In other words, it would have allowed compensation in these cases where accidents were caused by a fellow-workman. But it held to the old principle, so fruitful in litigation, that fault must be brought home to some one before compensation could be obtained. It left upon the injured man or his representatives the burden of proving that the accident was due to some particular person or persons, In the case of accidents (by far the largest class of all) where the fault could not be traced to any cause more specific than the "Act of God," it would have given no compensation.

THE UNIONIST

WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACT.

As has been said, the Workmen's Compensation Act is based upon a totally new principle. It awards compensation in all cases of accident from whatever cause, unless they are proved to be the result of the workman's own "serious and wilful misconduct," such as drunkenness. Compensation must follow every accident, unless the employer is able to prove serious and wilful misconduct on the part of the sufferer. It is evident that this at once closes most of the avenues of litigation left open under the Employers' Liability Act and Mr. Asquith's Bill. The Compensation Act, being an experiment, is at present confined to the most dangerous occupations, those in which by far the larger number of accidents occur. Among those who enjoy its benefits are miners, quarry men, railway men, engineers, and persons employed in factories. If the Act works

well, it will no doubt be extended in the future so as to apply to other employments.

It is alleged against the Act that it allows "contracting-out." But the truth is that it abolishes contracting-out, except in cases where the benefit derived from Voluntary Societies is certified by the Registrar of Friendly Societies to be not less than could be got under the Act. If a man can secure greater advantages from a system of Mutual Insurance than he can get under the Act, surely it would be unjust and an unwarrantable interference with his liberty, for the legislature to forbid him to do so.

WHAT THE MINERS' AGENTS SAY.

A striking testimony to the value of the Act was given at the Miners' Federation Conference, in Edinburgh, on the 11th January, 1899. Miners' Agents from all parts of the country were asked to report on the operation of the Act in their various districts. Their evidence is all the more valuable as in most cases they are not men who can be suspected of any prejudice in favour of a Unionist Government or Unionist legislation. Here are some of their reports :--

Mr. SMILLIE (Lanarkshire) said—“He was not prepared to condemn the Act or its promoters. He believed it was a long advance on what they had up to the present time. Hundreds of people in the West of Scotland had got compensation during the last six or eight months, who would never have got compensation except for the Act."

Mr. R. BROWN (Dalkeith) said "His experience as yet was that this was the best Act that had ever been passed. He had over thirty cases in his district, and they had not had to pay one penny to a lawyer and had no difficulty in getting compensation." Mr. PARROTT (Yorkshire) said--"That in his opinion this Act was a great improvement on any Act of Parliament that had been passed in favour of the working classes."

Mr. HANCOCK (Nottingham) said-"They had experienced very little trouble in connection with the working of the Act. There had been seven or eight fatal accidents, and in every case they had succeeded in getting every penny of compensation that had been claimed." [See Press, 12th January, 1899.]

WORKING MEN!

Support the Unionist Government

which has done

This Great Thing for you.

Printed by Maclure, Macdonald & Co., 2 Bothwell Circus, Glasgow.

Published by the West of Scotland Liberal-Unionist Association, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow. Price, 5/6 per 1000.

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