MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will quote the sentence in the letter from the ploughman in Perthshire, dated 27th November, 1912, to the Scottish National Insurance Commissioners, in which the writer is alleged to have asked to be provided with forms or other means for the purpose of informing upon any of his neighbours who might be evading the. National Insurance Act?
§ Mr. MASTERMANsubmitted the following letter:—
"To the Secretary, National Health Insurance Commission (Scotland), Edinburgh.
"Sir,—It may interest you to learn that a great many of my 'mates' (farm workers) in this district are still outside the pale of friendly societies, neither are they Post Office depositors. They openly boast that they won't 'come under' the conditions, or 'bother themselves' about the Insurance Act. Up to time of writing, no inspector has visited the individuals I refer to, and to-morrow (Martinmas) they (or at any rate many of them) will remove to new quarters 'scot free.' Now, is this sort of thing fair to those of us who as loyal and law-abiding subjects are conforming to the conditions (as we understand these are compulsory) of the State insurance scheme? But, probably we are in error in so doing. Probably the National Insurance Act is framed to exclude farm workers from participating in its benefits. If so, you might kindly let me know. It seems mighty hard that a few of us should contribute, and the 'great bulk' be allowed to go, as I have already said, 'scot free.'—I am, etc."