MAJORITY REPORT. 
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themselves and we are told that there is already a movement in 
this direction so far as the two largest Societies for seamen are 
concerned. 
550. While we regard it as unfortunate that insured persons of 
this class are scattered among so many Societies we do not 
recommend that definite provision should be made for their 
segregation in one Society. We consider, however, that the 
Department should keep this in view as an ideal desirable of 
attainment, and that they should wherever practicable, exercise 
their powers of persuasion in order to approach that end. 
551. A further matter relating to seamen of the Mercantile 
Marine to which our attention was directed, was the special 
arrangements for the provision of medical benefit to members of 
the Seamen’s National Insurance Society. It is provided by 
Section 63(5) of the Act that the medical benefit of members 
of this Society shall be administered by the Society itself instead 
of by Insurance Committees, and in accordance with this pro- 
vision the Society makes arrangements with doctors in the 
leading ports for attending any members of the Society 
who may require medical attendance. The Society accordingly 
are not debited, like all other societies, with payments 
to Insurance Committees in respect of medical benefit, 
but themselves pay out of their own funds the doctors 
Who attend any members of the Society. For this purpose 
4 scale of fees on an attendance basis has been agreed 
between the Society and representatives of the medical profession 
and is revised from time to time. Full particulars of the arrange- 
ents are set out in Appendix XXXI, 32. The Society desire 
that these special arrangements should be continued, but on the 
other hand, we have received evidence from a number of sources 
that there was no necessity for the continuance of the arrange- 
ments and that members would be at no disadvantage by being 
Placed in the same position as all other insured persons as regards 
arrangements for medical benefit. For example, the National 
Sailors’ and Firemen’s Union, the membership of which is also 
almost exclusively composed of seamen of the Mercantile Marine, 
Say —. 
“As far as we know, the ordinary medical benefit arrangements 
Work as well for seamen as for any other section of insured 
Persons. T do not remember receiving any complaint that any of 
our members could not get medical attention whenever it was 
tequired through any fault in the medical benefit arrangements. 
As far as our experience gees there would appear to be no reason 
for any special arrangement regarding the medical benefit of men 
employed in the Mercantile Marine.”” (App. XILIII, 21.) 
Again, the Federation Committee of the Associations of Insurance 
Committees speaking on behalf of all the Insurance Committees 
of the country make the following statement :—