The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-14
NEW LIABILITY
 LAW IS IN EFFECT Compensation Given to Em- pIoyed of Government 75,O00 PERSONS AFFECTED Act Applies To Injuries Received On Or After August 1, 19os-Payment
 For Injury Amounts To
 Years Pay.
75,O00 PERSONS AFFECTED

Washington, August 13-(Special.)-Th act of May 3o, 1908, entitled, An act granting to certain employees of the Uni ted States the right to receive from 1t compensation for injuries sustained in the course of their employment" which came into effect on August 1, 190S Is a meas ure of great importance In the domain 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 applies to persons employed by the gov ernment as artisans or laborers in the following services: Arsenals, navy yards, river and harbor construction, fortification construction, hazardous employment in the reclamation service, namely in con- struction and in control and management of works: hazardous employment under the isthmian canal commission. govern ment manufacturing establishments
 According to rough estimate made by the department of commerce and labor, about 75,O00 government employees come within the provisions of the law. Com pensation will be paid under this act only for such injuries to an empoye as occur in the course of his employment and cause inability to pursue his employment for more than 15 days. Compensation is not paid if the injury is due to the neg ligence<or misconduct of the employe in jured. The act applies only to injuries received on or after August l, 1908.
 The compensation consists of a contin- uance during the period of disability. but no over one year, of the same pay which the employe was receiving at the time of the injury. If the employe 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 depend ent relatives until the completion of the F months period.
 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 dis tribution of the compensation among the dependent relatives entitled to it 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 Labor and compensation may be paid only when approved by him. No compensation will be paid either for l injury or for death unless the persons en- titled to such compensation make appli- cation for the same. This application must be made by the injured employe, or | aF Iii hr-h hfc dataa dQn nfc 1 and forwarded by the official superior of i the injured employe, accompanied by a physicians certificate, through the regu- lar official channels to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. The secretary is authorized by the act to demand such ad- ditional information, or order such inves- tigation, as is necessary for the proper l, administration of the law.
 i Regulation have been prepared by the 1 Secretary of Commerce and Labor for 1 the guidance of officials and employees in 1 the government service, and the neces- sary forms and blanks have been pre- | pared. printed and distributed among the government offices throughout the coun- | try, where persons employed who come under the provisions of this act. According to these regulations, reports l of injuries must be made by the official : SupeTlOT Ol lle eIHplOS6 lO luc ocSiCedi y i of Commerce and Labor not later than the second day after the accident. Appi- cation for compensation must be made as 1 soon as possible after the flrst 15 days of | disability. If the application is approved | the compensation will be paid during dis l ability, but for a period not exceeding 1 six months, at the end of which period
 the injured person must make applica- | tion for re-examination by a physician. l provided by the Secretary of Commerce
 and Labor, and after this examination
 has been made and reported a new ap-
 proval by the secretary for further pay l ment of compensation Is necessary. This
 procedure is demanded by section Of the
 act The only other condition required is
 a presentation to the disbursing officer or
 each pay day of a physicians certificate
 as to the disability of the injured person
 approved by the official superior.
 Applications of dependents for compen'
 sation in case of the death of an employs
 from accidental injury must be made
 within 90 days after such death.
 The records of the application Of thii
 act will furnish valuable material for sta
 tistics of accidents, which, for this coun
 try. are quite meager. In order to make
 the statistics more complete and valuable
 reports of all accidental injuries to gov
 ernment employees, regardless of the ap
 plication of this act, have been requested
 from all government establishments ant
 offices As the number of United States
 government employees exceeds 30OOOo
 these statistics will prove of great scien
 tific value and practical use in the flu
 ture.