Mr. W.THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade why all persons who are paying members under Part II, of the National Insurance Act are not to vote for the election of Referees?
Mr. BUXTONIt seems reasonable that the persons eligible to vote at the first election of Courts of Referees should be those who have habitually worked at an insured trade for some specified period. For the first election it is accordingly proposed to adopt the same qualification as that laid down in the Act for the grant of "added weeks," namely, that the workman has worked for over twenty-five weeks at an insured trade before the commencement of the Act. For future elections of course the qualifications will necessarily be different.