Statement showing the number of employés in the mines and furnaces of Austria in 1882, as compared with 1881. The whole number of work-people employed in the mines and furnaces in 1882 comprised 96,168 men, 8,050 women, and 4,094 children. Statement showing the number, membership, dependents, and the capitalized funds of the relief associations in existence among the workmen engaged in the mines and furnaces of Austria as established in conformity with the requirements of statute law at the close of 1882, compared with 1881. Provinces. Provinces. Table showing the sanitary condition of the employés engaged in the mines and furnaces of Austria, as exhibited by the reports of the relief associations for 1882, compared with 1881. Statement showing the receipts and expenditures of the relief associations for the mines and furnaces in Austria during 1882, compared with 1881. Bohemia.... 531, 642 28,784 130, 110, 22, 412 3, 171 2,259 202, 583 41, 504 5, 214 690, 536 422, 113 8, 632 102, 790 143, 071 5, 400 667, 974 22, 036 16, 485 5,259 7,564 29, 308 787 47,823 6, 217 9,859 1,651 2,685 14, 195 291, 910201, 151 It will be observed in the foregoing tables that while the receipts surpassed the expenditures in 1882 to the amount of only 33,971 florins, the capitalized funds increased 534,067 florins, the difference resulting from interest on bonds, mortgages, loans, and other capitalized funds of the associations. This may be seen more clearly from the total receipts, as given below, of the 133 associations in Bohemia for 1882 and 1881, as follows: The expenditures of the same 133 associations, being given in greater detail, and exhibiting the principal items, will be only of special interest, showing an annual surplus of about 211,000 florins, as follows: This association is placed under the special protection of the railway company and has been in existence since 1860. The working fund is created by collecting 6 per cent. of the wages of the adherent members, fines of employés for negligences, &c., after payment of damages therefor sustained by the company, and a voluntary subscription by the company, equal to a certain rate per cent. (at present 1.62) of the whole amount of dues deducted from the member's wages, interest on invested funds, donations, &c. This fund is divided into two parts—the first, comprising about one-sixth of the whole amount collected, is devoted to the payment of temporary relief supplied sick and invalid members; while the remaining part is reserved for the payment of fixed pensions to permanently disabled members or the widows and orphans of deceased members. Membership is voluntary, restricted, however, to such persons in the permament employ of the company as have attained at least their fifteenth year and possess sufficient health and such physical constitution as to offer the necessary guarantee in respect to their services. They must furthermore possess blameless habits. In case their employment is only temporary, or the age of 35 years has been passed, they cannot belong to the category entitled to pensions, but only to the "sick relief division." The benefits belonging to full members are assistance equal to half their daily wages after being sick for more than three days; but if sickness continues longer than two months, then the payments are reduced to one-fourth of the daily wages. But after three months, if the member has belonged to the association for ten years, and the sickness or disability be permanent, then the member may be pensioned; or, if not entitled to a pension, his further relief is conditioned to the will of the association. Accidents, however, which disable members of both categories, at all times and under all circumstances, give claim for permanent relief and ultimate pensioning. The amounts of the pensions vary according to the length of the membership, from 30 to 70 per cent. of the average wages earned during the last three years previous to becoming incapacitated. The right or claim to relief may be forfeited by a member through negligence or the commission of a misdemeanor, or he may be dismissed for cause. Families of members have claim also to free medicines and medical aid, besides a stipulated sum for burial expenses; and finally, are entitled to receive the pension of the deceased member. All these questions are carefully regulated by the constitu tion and by-laws of the association, which are in general very prolix, and providing in great detail for almost every emergency. For example, the widow of a member committing suicide cannot claim his pension, nor in case she has been condemned for crime, or if she leads a notoriously bad life, the determining of which is made the duty of the central commission. Orphans under sixteen years of age are also beneficiaries for certain purposes, such as relief in sickness, schooling, &c., which ceases, however, immediately upon any transgression of law or good morals. The tendency of the institute will be seen, therefore, to be the inculcation of temperance, providence, and good morals in the workman and his family. The number of members in 1882 was 41,193, being an increase of 2,553 over the former year. The cases of sickness in 1882 numbered 17,787, being an increase of 1,244 over 1881. The percentage of cases to the whole number of members was 40.75 per cent. The aggregate sick days in 1882 was 244,412, or an increase of 2,512 over 1881. But, as the aggregate number of working days of all the members in 1882 was 10,237,620, the sick days averaged 5.96 per cent. of the whole. The receipts of the institute in 1882 aggregated 229,186 florins, and the expenditures 262,578 florins, being a deficit of 33,392 florins, which had to be covered by interests on invested funds, &c. This reserve fund, at the close of 1882, was 464,476 florins, but as this fund in 1878 was 671,481 florins, the condition of the association would not appear to be very flourishing at present. The various categories of its members, and the sanitary condition of the same, may be seen from the following table, giving, among other items, the percentage of members sick, and the average duration of their sickness during the year 1882, as compared with 1881: The printers and type-makers have also their relief associations, covering much the same ground as that of the railway companies, with the exception that they do not provide so especially for the pensioning of invalid members. In the Vienna Association weekly dues of 20 cents are required of all members capable of work, who receive, when sick, the sum of $4.80 weekly as long as incapable of work; not, however, to exceed one year. After that time the amount is reduced to $1.20, which is continued just as long as the financial condition of the association will justify. Upon the death of a member $20 are paid for burial expenses and $80 to the widow, while orphans receive $1.60 monthly until they have arrived at the age of 14 years. When declared permanently incapacitated for work, members receive an invalid support of from $2.40 to $3.20 per week, and finally, when they arrive at their seventieth year they are paid a weekly pension of $2. Furthermore, when out of employment, if not resulting from their own fault, members receive for six weeks, if single, $2.40 per week, but if married, $4 per week. Traveling money (the so-called viaticum) to the amount of $2 is paid visiting or passing members of reciprocating fraternities when needy or seeking employment. The number of members belonging to the Vienna Association at the close of 1882 was 656, comprising all ages from 16 to 70, the largest number being between 20 and 25 years of age. For the nine years of the existence of the fraternity at Vienna (1874– 1882), the accounts of their receipts and expenditures is as follows: |