Today -100: May 5, 1911: Of national insurance, anti-reelectionism, grave-robbers, and Hitchcock plots

British Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George introduces a National Insurance bill, a plan for insurance against sickness and unemployment. Workers’ contributions would be partially matched by contributions from employers and the state, but the benefits would be mostly administered by “friendly societies,” which are private voluntary bodies formed in the nineteenth century for the purpose of providing mutual insurance by members of the upper working classes and lower middle classes. The Tories aren’t putting up any significant opposition, talking about death panels, nuthin’.

Mexico’s Congress is working on a bill to ban re-election for the offices of president, vice-president, governor, legislator (although a provision to ban the relatives of incumbents from succeeding them failed).

Evidently those English archaeologists didn’t steal the Ark of the Covenant, but are believed to have stolen Solomon’s sword, crown and ring.

Disappointing Headline of the Day -100: “Sees a Hitchcock Plot.” Sadly, the Hitchcock in question is Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock, accused by Sen. Jefferson “Jeff” Davis (D-AK) of a “diabolical plot” to bankrupt a women’s magazine. Not exactly North by Northwest, is it?