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The Green Bag

in the salaries of federal judges. The committee is composed of Edward A. Sumner of New York, Jacob M. Dickin son of Tennessee, former Secretary of War George R. Peck of Chicago, John Hinckley of Baltimore and Chapin Brown of Washington.

may reproduce a work without consent, on payment of a small fixed royalty. Rights of performance and reproduction are merged in the author's copyright, the provision being especially advan tageous to musical composers. The British Insurance Act

The Coal Mines act went into effect in Great Britain July 1, its purpose being to increase the safety of miners. It provides for daily personal supervision of mine by the managers, government inspection, certification of firemen who are found qualified to make accurate tests of the air of a mine, compulsory ventilating precautions, and other safe guards. Senator La Follette offered a resolution in the United States Senate Aug. 5 which proposed a radical change in the method of amending the Constitution of the United States. By its terms a majority of the two Houses of Con gress, or ten States, acting through their Legislatures or through popular vote, would have authority to propose amendments. An amendment to be adopted must be approved by a "major ity of the electors in a majority of the States," and "a majority of all elec tors," voting- on the question. The new British Copyright Act (1 and 2 Geo. V., ch. 46) went into effect July 1. It makes registration at Stationers Hall no longer necessary, a copyright run ning from the time of the making of any work, whether published or not. A uniform term, of life and fifty years, is established for all literary and artistic productions, even architectural works receiving this protection. The "com pulsory license" principle is introduced by the provision that during the second half of the fifty-year term any person

The British National Insurance Act, which went into effect July 15, provides for government relief to persons sick or out of employment, and is probably the most visionary and advanced piece of social legislation which has ever been adopted in Great Britain or the United States. The six benefit provisions apply to every working person between the ages of 16 and 70 in Great Britain and Ireland who earns not more than $800 yearly, with certain exceptions, and thus places the bruden of caring for many million persons on the state. Employers must even insure their domestic ser vants. The insured are given the advan tages of free medical attendance, hospital treatment, and relief in special estab lishments in the case of consumption. The burden of this insurance is borne chiefly by the employer, but partly by by employee. The employer of every workman who receives an ordinary wage must pay 14 cents daily to the general fund, deducting 8 cents from the wages. The state also contributes, paying 4 cents toward every 18 cents expended on benefits and the administration of benefits. If the workman earns less than an ordinary wage, the employer must pay in larger proportion, and must also pay in larger proportion in the case of women employees. The sickness bene fit for men is $2.40 a week for 26 weeks, to which a disablement benefit of $1.40 is added so long as the person is still incapable of work. The benefits are distributed by approved societies, and everyone to get full the benefits of