Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-08-26
new Law FOR
GOVT EMPLOYEES
Insurance for Accidents
While In Service
Of Nation

! WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. To-
The Act of May 80, 1908, entitled
AN Act granting to certain employ
ces of the United States the right to
receive from II compensation for in
iuries sustained in the course of
their employment" which came into
effect on August 1, 1908, Is a meas
ure of great Importance in the do
main OF labor legislation. Under
previous laws, compensation in case
Of injury is paid to employees in the
Railway Mail Service and in the Life
Saving Service. The new law APP
plies to persons employed by the Gov
ernment MS artisans or laborers in
the following services: Arsenals; ma
Wy yards; river and harbor construc-
ton; fertilization construction; haz-
ardous employment in the Reclama-
ton Service, namely, in construction
and in control and management of
works; hazardous employment under
the lsthmian Canal Commission;
Government manufacturing establish
ments.
| According to rough estimate
made by the Department of Com
merce and Labor. about $4,000 Gov
eminent employees come Within the
provisions of the law. Compensation
will be paid under this act only for
such injuries to an employe as occur
I nr 10 tp. nd
cause inability to pursue his employ
ment for more than fifteen days. Com
pensation Is not paid If the injury is
due to the negligence or misconduct
of the employe injured. The act APP
plies only to injuries received on or
after August !. 1908.
The compensation consists of n
continuance during the period of dis
ability, but not over one year. of the
same pay which the employee was
receiving at the time of the injury.
If the employee is killed by the acct
dent or dies from the results of the
injury received and leaves n widow
or children under 16 years of age or
dependent parents, the same amount
OF compensation is paid to these de-
pendent relatives until the compile
ton of the twelve months period.
The administration of the act is in
trusted to the Secretary of Com
merce 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 de-
pendent relatives entitled to IL must
be made according to his orders.
Cases of injuries to employees coming
under this act must be reported to
the Secretary of Commerce and La
Dor, and compensation may be paid
only when approved by him.
No compensation will be paid eth
er for injury or for death unless the
persons entitled to such compensa-
ton make application for the same.
This application must be made by the
injured employe, or, in case of his
death, by his dependents, and for
warded by the official superior of the
injured employe, accompanied by u
physicians certificate, through the
regular official channels to the Secre-
tary of Commerce and Labor. The
Secretary is authorized by the act to
demand such additional information,
or order such investigation, rs Is nee
essary for the proper administration
of the law.
Regulations have been prepared by
the Secretary of Commerce and Labor
for the guidance of officials and en-
ployees in the Government Service,
and the necessary forms and blanks
have been prepared, printed, and dis
tributed among the Government Of
fees, throughout the country, where
persons are employed who come UNI
der the provisions of this act.
According to these regulations, re-
ports 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 compensa-
ton must be made as soon as pos
sible after the first fifteen days of
disability. II the application is APP
proved. the compensation will be
paid during disability, but for pc
riod not exceeding six months, at the
end of which period, the injured
person must make application for re-
examination by a physician provided
by the Secretary of Commerce and
Labor. and after this examination
has been made and reported, new
approval by the Secretary for further
payment of compensation Is neces-
|