Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-09-18
MILL. INSURANCE
LEGISLATION REQUIRED IN LA
BlLITY INSURANCE AFFAIRS.
Mill Men Should be Protected from Shystcr
Lawyers, Who Solicit Damage Suits and
Bleed Both Parties in Trivial Cases. A
Matter Tor Legislation.

There has been lull in liability nsur-
ance affairs during the last two months;
but the mill-men are remembering the
narrow escape that they had in the
spring, and studying methods OF prevent.
ing Il recurrence of the disastrous damage
suits that threatened to make them per-
sonally stand the losses that came from
heavy judgments. Numerous schemes
have been investigated, including the
formation of Il mutual liability insurance
company to be composed of the manu-
facturers bat nothing has yet been found
that seems to be the remedy. Some Of
the mills believed that they might install
a system of accident insurance by hold
ing back small portion of each months
pay Of their employees, and promising, in
the event of accident while the men we've
on duty, to pay various sums OF insur-
ance up to as high as years wages
but this was not received !avorably by
the workmen, for the chief reason that
the insurance was colectable only while
they were laboring for the company.
The latter could not 60 so far as to insure
the employees while they were not at
work, as it would mean the maintenance
of q regular insurance organization, with
all its draw backs and liabilities.
Mill-lnen may feasibly organize mu-
tual insurance for fire protection but
liability insurance does not seem success
full as an adjunct Of even the old estab-
lished insurance companies, and for mill
men to take it up as part OF their
numbering business would be too hazard.
GUS for them to attempt. The only APP
parent method of heading off the with
drawal of the regular insurers from the
business seems 10 be to go into the legis-
lature, as has been stated in The Journal
numerous times. Early in 1903 the
Washington lawmakers will again be in
session, and as quite a number Of them
promise to be lumbermen it is highly
probable that ii the subject is taken up
in the form of petitions and otherwise
something will be done.
There should be more stringent laws
against cheap attorneys taking damage
cases on contingent fees, and by repre-.
hensible methods working on the sympa-
thies OF juries to induce them to award
damages when the cause OF the accident
was plainly the caielessness OF the en-
ploye, or, as has been the case numerous
times, OF securing enormous recompense
for trivial accident that kept The man
laid up for only a few days. One man,
for instance, sued for $4,000 damages on
account of Il slight injury to his heel, and
at last accounts had a fair prospect of
getting it., although he was away from
his work for only a week. No insurance
company can stand this sort OF drain,
and If they should withdraw from the
state, as they were on the point Of doing
last spring, and doubtless would do if
there was recurrence OF the damage"
epidemic, the position of the manuiac
turers, who would then be forced to stand
their own insurance, would be such as to
compel them to suspend operations. The
Legislature has the power to overcome
this condition, and it is hoped that it will
take action before the end OF the session.
The Pacific Lumber Trade Journal.