Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Second part - XVI. Labour Legislation and Social Statistics - 2. Social Condition and Social Statistics - Sick-Relief and Burial Funds, by H. Burström, Actuary at the Royal Central Bureau of Statistics
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
sick-relief and bd rial funds.
1093
According to this law, which, however, does not make registration compulsory,
sick-relief funds whose regulations are drawn up in accordance with the
provisions prescribed, can be registered on the following conditions among others,
namely: a) that the fund comprises at least 25 members; b) that the Board
consists of Swedish subjects and comprises at least 3 persons; c) that the means of
the funds may not, except for paying management expenses, be used for other
purposes than support in cases of sickness, and eventually for funeral assistance.
The privileges enjoyed by registered sick-relief funds are among others, firstly a
legally established position and the exemption from distress upon the support
rendered by such funds; secondly the right to an annual so-called management
contribution, which, after having been increased several times, at present amounts
to 1-5 0 kronor (1 all. 8 d.) per member up to the number of 100, 1 krona (l’lo sh.)
for each member from 101 to 300, 50 öre (6*6 d.) for each member from 301 to
2,600, and 25 öre (3-3 d.) for each member beyond that number. Nevertheless, in
conjunction with this, it is stipulated that the fund’s own income must have amounted
to at least as much as the amount of the management contribution calculated on
these bases. Upon registration follows the obligation for the fund to issue an
annual statistical report of its work.
According to the reports published by the Home Department there were, in
1900, 1,443 funds registered with almost 253,500 members, of whom about
61,000 were women. In 772 funds the membership was below 100; 532 had
between 101 and 300; and only 139 above 300 members, of which but 5
exceeded 2,000 members. Men only were admitted to 400 funds, 25 were exclusively
for women, while on the other hand 1,018 were open for both sexes. — The
receipts, which altogether amounted to 2,890,193 kronor (à Tio sh.) were distributed
as follows: entrance fees 69,019 kronor, regular fees 1,749,804 kronor, extra fees
467,155 kronor, State contribution 228,764 kronor, fines, etc., 33,946 kronor,
interest 176,135 kronor, etc. Among the expenditures, 2,377,554 kronor, are
included cash sick-relief 1,695,017 kronor, burial assistance 312,284 kronor, and
management expenses 213,194 kronor. The balance of the funds at the
expiration of 1900 amounted to 4,272,167 kronor, and the year’s work gave altogether
a surplus of 512,639 kronor.
With regard to the number of cases of sickness among the members of
the registered funds, the following figures, being the average for the years 1894/98,
may be given. The number taken ill in proportion to the membership, amounted
to 23-4 % among the men, and 18’s % among the women. The number of cases
of sickness in per cent of the membership, amounted for the men to 28*9 %, and
for the women to 23"2 %■ On an average every case of sickness required sick-relief
for 20-1 days. Distributed over the entire membership, the number of sick-days
will consequently amount to 5-5 per annum. All these figures have remained
almost unchanged since the first investigation into the matter, in 1884.
Registration was embraced with but little interest by the funds
the first few years after the law came into existence, depending partly
upon the very limited contribution from the State at that time and
partly-upon the great dislike inherent with the public in general for such public
supervision as registration implies. As State assistance has increased,
participation has certainly become more animated, but nevertheless there
are still many funds that have neglected to avail themselves of
registration, which, however, has undoubtedly essentially contributed to
strengthen the financial position of the sick-relief funds and to support
them in their work.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
