On Monday in the Commons Mr. Bonar Law asked Mr.
Lloyd George whether it was true that the Chief Actuary had reason to consider that a large number of approved societies would be unable, on valuation, to pay the minimum benefits under the Insurance Act. Mr. Lloyd George replied that, in view of the short experience of the societies in meeting claims —disablement benefit, in particular, being not yet operative— he did not propose to have any actuarial examination of the state of the societies made yet. What evidence be bad, how- ever, indicated that the experience of men's societies had been well within actuarial expectations. The experience of women's societies indicated " some excessive expenditure" on sickness, which was due mainly to claims from married women. Some societies, moreover, had an undue proportion of members engaged in specially unhealthy trades. A strong Departmental Committee was inquiring into the whole subject. Mr. Boner Law pointed out that his question had not been answered. We fear that Mr. Lloyd George knows only too well that there is a danger of insolvency. Otherwise we may be sure he would have swept Mr. Boner Law's suggestions away with a hurricane of confidence. There was a debate on the same subject in the Commons on Thursday which left the subject much where it was before.
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