RELATION OF DUES AND PECUNIARY BENEFITS TO WAGES, BY CLASS OF FUND, 1888 TO 1908-Continued. LOCAL SICK FUNDS. Percentage of funds with dues equal to Percentage of funds with pecuni specified percentage of wages. ary benefits equal to specified percentage of wages. RELATION OF DUES AND PECUNIARY BENEFITS TO WAGES, BY CLASS OF FUND, 1888 TO 1908-Concluded. The term "dues" used in the preceding table means the dues of both employer and insured person; thus dues of 1 per cent consist of 1 per cent paid by the insured person and per cent paid by the employer. The table indicates that there is a tendency for the communal insurance to restrict their operations to the minimum dues and minimum benefits; since the enactment of the law of 1903 the tendency has been for the funds to charge higher dues, as the compulsory increase in the period of benefit payments from 13 to 26 weeks called for an increase of income. In the case of the local sick funds the tendency to charge higher dues is clearly marked; in fact this class of fund shows the highest rates of dues of any of those included in the table. In general, there is a well-defined tendency for the payment of benefits of 50 to 663 per cent to increase, except in the case of the communal insurance. The proportion of funds with a benefit of 663 per cent to 75 per cent has always been small and shows no tendency to increase. PERIOD FOR WHICH BENEFITS ARE PAID. The law prescribes a minimum period for which benefits must be provided, but permits the funds to make extensions of the minimum period if they desire. Frequently the additional benefits provided are 46598-10-79 of lower amounts than those granted during the compulsory period. The following table shows the periods for which benefits were paid from 1885 to 1908: LENGTH OF TIME FOR WHICH BENEFITS ARE PAID, BY CLASS OF FUND, 1885 TO 1908. [Source: Statistik des Deutschen Reichs, vols. 170 and 229: Die Krankenversicherung.] LENGTH OF TIME FOR WHICH BENEFITS ARE PAID, BY CLASS OF FUND, 1885 During the period 1885 to 1903, inclusive, the time for which benefits were required to be paid was 13 weeks; the data given in the table. indicate that the great majority of the funds were content to provide the legal minimum of benefits. There was a steady increase in the number of funds which provided benefits for from 13 to 26 weeks; the funds giving additional benefits from 26 to 52 weeks showed a tendency to increase up to the time of the enactment of the law of 1892, and since that date have changed in number but slightly. The |