some other occupation, and all persons belonging to the crews of vessels so engaged, are included in the insurance. BURDEN OF PAYMENT.-Each insured person pays an annual premium of 1.50 crowns (40.2 cents). The State appropriates annually from the receipts of harbor dues 60,000 crowns ($16,080). At any time prior to January 1, 1914, should necessity arise, the King, with consent of the Storting, may increase the rate of dues for the balance of the period. COMPENSATION.-In case of death resulting within one year from the time of the accident, a lump-sum payment of 800 crowns ($214.40) is made, any disability compensation already paid being deducted. from this amount. This compensation is paid to (1) the surviving widow, if married before the accident causing death occurred, and if at the time of the accident the marriage relation was not interrupted; (2) the children of the deceased if supported by him; (3) the ascendents of the deceased if they establish their dependence; (4) other persons who may be able to furnish similar proof of dependence. The persons named have a right to the compensation in the order specified and the presence of one of the classes of claimants bars the claims of the others. For total permanent disability a lump-sum payment of 800 crowns ($214.40) is made. For partial permanent disability involving a loss of earning power of 20 per cent or over the compensation is determined by the degree of disability. VOLUNTARY INSURANCE.-Any person included in the compulsory insurance may, by the payment of supplementary dues, provide for a higher rate of compensation. To secure a compensation of 1,200 crowns ($321.60), the insured must pay, in addition to the dues already specified, 1.40 crowns (37.5 cents) annually, and to secure a compensation of 1,600 crowns ($428.80), must pay supplementary dues of 2.80 crowns (75 cents) per year. OCCUPATIONAL ENUMERATION.-On December 15 of each year an enumeration of all persons over 15 years of age engaged in the occupations included in the law shall be taken in each commune. This register may be corrected upon application of the interested persons, and any person belonging to the insured classes may, by the payment of the annual dues, be registered at any time during the year, but such insurance is for the balance of the year only. COLLECTION OF DUES.-This list serves as a basis for the collection of dues. The commune is responsible to the State. The employer is responsible for the dues of persons employed by him, and he is authorized to deduct the dues from the wages of the employees. Dues not paid at the proper time may be collected in the same manner as communal taxes. The commune must pay to the insurance office interest at the rate of 5 per cent on all arrears of dues from the date of their becoming due. Failure to collect dues does not invalidate the insurance. SECURITY OF PAYMENTS.-The insurance system is administered by the Royal Insurance Institution and the compensation is guaranteed by the State. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.-The expense of initiating the system is borne by the public treasury. The commune is permitted to withhold 5 per cent of all dues collected to cover the cost of enumeration, the collection of the dues, etc. The insurance office pays for the medical certificates necessary to establish the amount of the compensation. Medical expenses are paid by the injured person. RESERVE FUND.-The excess of income over expenditures shall form a reserve fund upon which, should it be necessary, draft may be made for subsequent disbursements. RULES OF PROCEDURE, ETC.-The proper Government department shall prescribe all the rules and regulations concerning method of procedure, administration, publication, and transmission of the enumeration, the collection and transfer of dues, disbursements, and all other necessary subjects. The compensation payable under this law shall not be assigned, attached, nor pledged. An appeal from the decision of the insurance office may be taken to the royal insurance commission within six weeks from the time of notification of such decision, and with certain restrictions may again be appealed to the regular courts. STATISTICS. The following tables give the chief available statistics concerning accidents and accident insurance in Norway. From the above table it is seen that of all the cases of accident reported from 1895 to 1905, 94.7 per cent were proved, and that of those proved 2.5 per cent were fatal cases; 13.4 per cent were cases of permanent disability; 47.6 per cent were cases of complete recovery, or with disability of less than 83 per cent, and 32.6 per cent were cases of disability lasting less than four weeks. The number of accidents, by days, by months, and by seasons, is shown in the table following: NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS, BY DAYS, BY MONTHS, AND BY SEASONS, 1896 TO 1899. [Source: Norges Officielle Statistik, femte Raekke, nr. 16, Ulykkesforsikringen, 1906, p. 202.] Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total. Year. 1896. 200 237 240 In so far as any conclusions can be drawn from statistics covering so few years, it seems that in Norway, as in other lands, Monday is the worst day for accidents. While the actual number on this day is not so high as on some other days, when account is taken of the fact that Monday is a holiday very often in certain occupations and consequently a large number of workers are not engaged in their regular occupations, relatively the record for this day is high. It will be noticed that among the months November holds the record for accidents, while April makes the best showing. Among the seasons autumn has the greatest number of accidents, while spring has the fewest. The following table gives a summary of accident statistics from 1895 to 1899, inclusive: NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS, FULL-TIME WORKERS, AND ACCIDENTS, AND 1895 TO [Source: Die Arbeiter-Versicherung im Auslande, Dr. Zacher, Heft IIIb, 1908, pp. 38, 39.] Wagon factories. Electric telegraphs, telephones, and lightning rods-manufacture and installation (with motors)... Factories for making chemical products.. Match factories.. Woolen factories (spinning, weaving, dressing). Factories making cotton and half woolen goods (spinning, weaving, dressing).. Factories making woolen, cotton, and half woolen goods.. Cellulose, wood pulp, paper, and pasteboard factories. Leather manufacturing (dressing and dyeing, with and without tanneries). Planing mills. 1,061 Laying of gas, water, and sewer pipes and installing heating plants. Building construction (mainly small buildings in the country and in small towns)... 3,696 1,711 3,551 4,147 1,491 1.055 37,847 1,265 1,594 1,315 3,413 8, 198 9,643 5,327 1,823 2,235 31,045 1,985 17, 172 8.488 10, 484 a This total is not the correct sum of the items; the figures are given as shown in the original report. The average premium rate for all industries was 1.37 per cent of the wages for 1895 and 1896, and 1.36 per cent for 1897 to 1899. |