Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-02-06
Compensation for Employees
Hurt in Government Service

SbiIPCIlodNlOH IOl EilPlOJCo
Hurt in Government Service
I also very urgently advise that a COM
prehensive act be passed providing for
compensation by the government to all
employees injured in the government SER
vice. Under the present law an injured
workman in the employment of the gov
arnment has no remedy, and the entire
burden of the accident falls on the help
less man, his wife, and his young chill
dren, This is an outrage, 1t is a matter
of humiliation to the nation that there
should not be on our statute books a pro-
vision to meet and partially to atone for
cruel misfortune when it comes upon
a man through no fault of his own while
faithfully serving the public. In no 9TH
er prominent industrial country in the
world could such gross injustice occur;
for almost all civilized nations nave en-
acted Legislation e%mbodying the complete
recognition of the principle which places
the entire trade risk for industrial acct
dents Excluding, of course. accidents
due to willful misconduct by the en-
ploNe). on the industry as represented
by the employer, which in this case is
the government. In all these countries
the principle applies to the government
Just as much as to the private employer.
Under no circumstances should the in
iurcd employee or his surviving depend
ents be required to bring suit against the
government, nor should there be the re-
quirement that in order to insure re-
N'NNiN l'bllSSllhS ~ bpiAlV " II vi NilG
part of the government should be shown.
Our proposition Is not to confer a right
action upon the government employe,
but to secure him suitable provision
against injuries received in the course
of his employment. The burden of the
trade risk should be placed upon the
government. Exactly as the workingman
is entitled to his wages, so he should be
entitled to indemnity for the injuries sus-
tanned in the natural course of his labor,
The rates of compensation and the regu-
lations for its payment should be speci-
fled in the law, and the machinery for
determining the amount to be paid should
in each case be provided in such manner
that the employee is properly represented
without eXpenSe to him. In other words,
the compensation should be paid auto
matically, while the application of the
law in the first instance should be vested
in the department of and labor.
The law should apply to all laborers, me-
chanics, and other civilian employees of
including those in the service of the
Panama canal commission and Of the in
sular governments.
The same broad principle which
should ultimately be made appii-
cable to all private employers. Where
the nation has the power it should
enact laws to this effect. Where the
states alone have the power they should
enact the laws. 1t is to be observed
that an employers liability law does not
really mean mulcting employers in dam
ages. It merely throws upon the en-
ployer the burden of accident insurance
against injuries which are sure to occur.
It requires him either to bear or to dis
tribute through insurance the loss which
can readily be borne when distributed,
but which, If u~ndistributed, bears with
frightful hardship upon the unfortunate
victim of accident. In theory, if wages
were always freely and fairly adjusted,
they would always include an allowance
as against the risk Of injury, just as
certainly as the rate of interest for mon
ey includes an allowance for insurance
against the risk of loss. In theory, If
employees were all experienced business
men, they would employ that part OF
their wages which is received because of
the risk Of injury to secure accident
insurance. But as a matter of fact, it
is not practical to expect that this will