Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-09-17
PLAN TO AID WORKMEN
New Compensation Law That Af-
fects Government Employees.
FOR Benefit OF INJURED MEN

About Seventy Thousand Come
Within the Provisions of the Edict.
Its Administration Is In Hands of
Secretary of Commerce and Labor.
The act of May 80, 1908, granting
to certain employees Of the United
| States the right to receive from 1t com
pensation for injuries sustained in the
course of their employment" which
came into effect on Aug. /, 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 ap-
plies to persons employed by the gov
ernment as artisans or laborers in the
following services Arsenals, navy
yards, river and harbor construction,
fertilization construction, hazardous
employment in the reclamation service
namely, in construction and in con
troll and management of works; haZ-
ardous employment under the isthmian
canal commission and in government
manufacturing establishments.
According to a rough estimate made
by the department Of commerce and
labor, about 10000 government en-
ployees come within the provisions of
the law. Compensation will be paid
under this act only for such injuries
to an employee as occur in the course
of his employment and cause inability
to pursue his employment for more
than fifteen days, says the New York
| Post. Compensation will not be paid
if the injury is due to the negligence or
misconduct of the employee. The act
applies only to injuries received on or
after Aug /
Compensation consists of continu-
ance during the period of disability
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 accident or dies from
the results of the injury received AID
leaves a widow or children under Six
teen years of age or dependent parents,
the same amount of compensation Is
paid to these relatives until the compile
tion of the twelve 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 distribution of the compensation
among dependent relatives must be
made according to his orders.
No compensation will be paid either
for injury or for death unless applica-
tion for 1t is made. This application
must be made by the injured en-
pioyee or in case of death by his de-
pendents and forwarded by the Off
cial superior of the injured employee,
accompanied by a physicians certli-
cate, through the regular official
channels to the secretary of commerce
and labor. The secretary is author
lied to demand additional information
or order such investigation us is ueces-
sary for the proper administration of
the law.
Regulations have been prepared for
the guidance OF officials and employees
in the government service. According
to these regulations, reports of injuries
| must De maue Dy Ine OIUCldl superior
of the employee to the secretary of
commerce and labor not later than the
second day after the accident. Appli
cation for compensation must be made
as soon as possible after the first fif-
teen days of disability. If the appli-
cation is approved, the compensation
will be paid during disability, but for
period not exceeding six months, at
the end of which period the injured
person must make application for rc-eZ
animation by Il physician provided by
the secretary, ana after this eXamiua-
ton has been reported a new approval
by the secretary for further payment
of compensation is necessary.
The records of the application of this
act will furnish valuable material for
statistics of accidents, which fer the
United States are meager. In order to
make the statistics more complete and
valuable reports of all accidental in
juries to government employees re-
gardless of the application of the act
have been requested from all govern
ment establishments and offices.