The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-10-29
NEW LAW BOON
TO LABOR.
Act Provides for Compensation to
Employees Injured in Govern
ment Service.
Receive Pay for One Year-Secretary
of Department of Commerce and
Labor Administers Act-Families
to Be Taken Care OF.

Of the United States the right to re-
ceive from it compensation for in
juries sustained in the course Of their
employment" which came into effect
on August /, is a measure Of great i'm
pOrtance in the domain of labor legis-
lation. Under previous laws, compen-
sation in case CT injury is paid to en-
| ployes in the railway mail service and
in the life saving service. The new
law applies TO persons employed by the
government as artisans or laborers in
the following services: Arsenals, navy
yards, river and harbor construction,
fertilization construction, hazardous en-
plOyment in the reclamation service,
namely in construction and in control
and management of works, hazardous
employment under the lsthmlan canal
commission, government manufactur-
ing establishments.
Scope of Law Large.
According to q rough estimate made
by the department of and la
Dor, about 10000 government employees
come within the provisions of the law.
Compensation will be paid under this
act only for such injuries to an EN-
plOye as occur in the course Of his m
ployment and cause inability to pursue
his employment for more than fifteen
days. Compensation is not paid If the
injury is due to the negligence or mis-
conduct Of the employe himself. The
act applies only to injuries received on
or after August l.
The compensation consists of a con
tinInnan Iprtnu fha nnrinI Of Iicahil-
ity, but not over one year, of the same
pay which the employee was receiving
at the time of the injury. If the en-
ploye Is killed by the accident or dies
from the results OF the injury received
and leaves a widow or children under
16 years of age or dependent parents,
the same amount of compensation is
paid to these dependent relatives until
the completion of the twelve months
period.
Discretionary Power I'm One Man.
The administration Of the act is in
trusted TO the secretary of commerce
and labor. All questions of negligence
or misconduct are to be determined by
him, and in case Of death from injury,
the distribution Of the compensation
among the dependent relatives entitled
to it must be made according to his or
ders. Cases of injuries to employees
coming under this act must be reported
to the secretary of commerce and labor,
and compensation may be paid only
when approved by him.
No compensation will be paid either
for injury or for death unless the per-
sons entitled to such compensation
make application for the same. This
application must be made by the in
jured employe, or, in case of his death
by his dependents and forwarded by the
official superior of the injured employee,
accompanied by a physicians certif-
cate, through the regular official chan
nels to the secretary of commerce and
labor. The secretary is authorized by
the act to demand such additional in
formation, or order such Investigation
as is necessary for the proper admin
istration Of the law.
Regulations OF Law.
Regulations have been prepared by
the secretary of m and labor
for the guidance of officials and en-
ployes in the government service, and
the necessary forms and blanks have
been prepared, printed and distributed
among the government offices through
out the country, where persons are en-
ployed who come under the provisions
of this act. According to these regu-
%iations, reports of injuries must be
made by the official superior OF the
employe to the secretary of commerce
and labor not later than the second
day after the accident. Application for
compensation must be made as soon as
possible after the first fifteen DAYS of
disability. Ii the application is ap-
proved the compensation will be paid
during disability, but for a period not
exceeding six months, at the end of
which period, the injured person must
make application for REORGANIZATION
by a physician provided by the score.
tary OF M and labor, and after |
this examination has been made and
reported, a new approval by the sec
rotary for further payment Of compen-
sation is necessary. This procedure is
demanded by section 5 Of the act. The
only other condition required is a pres
entation to the disbursing officer on
each pay day Of a physicians certif.
cate as TO the disability of the in |
jured person, approved by the official
superior.
Furnish Accident Statistics.
Applications of dependents for COM
pensation in case of the death of an
employe from accidental injury must
be made within 90 days after snch
death. The records OF the application
or this act will furnish valuable ma
terial for statistics of accidents. which.
for this country are quite meager. In
order to make the statistics more COM
plete and valuable, reports of all acct
dental injuries to government employees,
regardless OF the application of this act,
have been requested from all govern
ment establishments and Offices. AS the
number Of United States government
employees exceeds 100000, these statis-
tics will prove Of great scientific value
and practical use in the future. |