Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/338

 330] FOEEIGN HISTOEY. [1899.

the financial details of the bill gave rise to much noisy debate, arousing the belief that private and legitimate interests were being needlessly sacrificed.

This feeling of distrust was still more angrily aroused by the proposed law on assurance against sickness and accidents. This bill which had been under consideration for the past three years was finally drafted on the labours of a committee appointed by the Federal Assembly to report on the best means of providing the funds requisite to carry into execution the objects and promises of the bill. The summer months were given up to a careful study of each departmental Budget to see how far economies might be effected. Naturally each department pro- tested vigorously at the application of the pruning, and met the appeal for retrenchment by a demand for an increased allowance. By dint of careful searching, however, it was found that savings to the extent of 4,520,000 francs were possible, but not realisable until 1903. It was therefore suggested that the law should be passed forthwith, but that its application should not take effect until such times as there were funds in hand out of which the claims arising from it could be met. By this means, the members of the National Council, who would necessarily have to present themselves for re-election before the close of the year, would be in the position to claim the support of their constituents on the ground that they had passed the Life Assurance Bill.

The bill, however, as was subsequently shown, was destined to involve a far greater expenditure than its proposers, most unduly optimistic, allowed to be supposed. More careful calcula- tions anticipated that the claims arising under the bill, in respect of deductions from the workmen's wages would reach at least 28,000,000 francs, and that there was every likelihood that they might amount to 40,000,000 francs, inasmuch as the law extended the quality of workman to every one working for another person. To meet this it was anticipated that a surtax in the existing inland parcel and package post would be inevitable ; an augmentation of the fines imposed for disafforestry was also expected, and even a tobacco tax. In this way, how- ever, it was anticipated that the workman would pay one third, the Confederation another, and the employers the remainder of the amount required for the insurance law. Naturally there were protests from all quarters, but nevertheless the National Council by 113 votes to 1 and 12 abstentions approved the bill (Oct. 2) which thus became law.

Loud grumblings were raised in various countries at the long delays in the work of the International Arbitration Tri- bunals, set up in Switzerland, and the tendency of the arbitrators to shield semi-bankrupt States, generally of America, from the just demands of their creditors. This disposition was not only appreciated by foreigners, but it gave considerable dissatisfaction even to the Swiss themselves, so much so indeed that M.