MAJORITY REPORT.

217

6555-6558) also criticised the scheme on the ground of its complexity
 and suggested that the normal provisions of the Act for a
free year of insurance should be applied. The latter of these
Societies also submitted interesting tables (App. IX) showing the
percentage of women who fell under Class K on marriage and the
relative cost of the two schemes. The National Association of
Trade Union Approved Societies (App. XCII, 123; Q. 22,057)
also suggested the application of the ‘‘ free year of insurance ’’
but expressed the view that the woman's title to maternity
benefit should continue for two years after marriage. Again,
certain witnesses, including the Ancient Order of Foresters (App.
V, 54-56; Q. 4268, 4278-4284), the Joint Committee of Approved
Societies (App. XIV, 10; Q. 8237-8241) and the Scottish
Co-operative Friendly Society (App. LXXVIII, 4; Q. 20,174-20,213)
 suggested that a marriage bonus should be given to
women on marriage and that the title to all benefits should then
cease. The present arrangements were also criticised on the
ground that they provide little incentive to insured women to
send prompt notification to their Societies of the fact of their
marriage, with the result that benefits are often paid in the
first instance at incorrect rates, necessitating subsequent
adjustments (Kinnear, Q. 229-232; Manchester Unity of Oddfellows,
 Q. 5843; Order of the Sons of Temperance, Q. 21,433).
518. Finally, it has been represented to us by several witnesses,
that the difficulties in administering the present provisions are
rendered greater at the present time by reason of the necessity
for applying to each case the provisions of the Prolongation of
Insurance Act (e.g., Hearts of Oak Benefit Society (App. IV,
124-126; Q. 38134-3136), Ancient Order of Foresters (Q. 4349-4351),
 Independent Order of Rechabites (App. VIII, 9-11),
National Conference of Industrial Assurance Approved Societies
(App. VI, 16)). Under this Act the definite test of
eight consecutive weeks’ absence from work for determining
 whether a woman is to be treated as having ceased
employment no longer applies, and in every case where
there has been this period of absence from work, a
Society before transferring a woman to the special class
of insurance has to ascertain whether during the period she has
been genuinely unemployed and available for work, or not. In
the former case she is not transferred to the special class but is
allowed to remain in insurance as an ordinary employed contributor.
 This, we are told, removes the main administrative
advantage of the provisions of the Act of 1918 and reintroduces
to some extent the necessity for ascertaining intention, which
oe the main objection to the relative provisions of the 1911
Ctl.

519. The objections, from an administrative point of view, to
the present provisions relating to married women, so far as these
objections are based on their alleged complexity, appear to be
“Ama

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