The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-12-02
GOES DIRECT TO
MANUFACTURERS
WISCONSIN COMMITTEE ON INDUS
TRIAL INSURANCE SENDS OUT
INQUIRIES.
COMPILE RATES ON DATA.
Body Wiz Hold Information in Conf
dence in Making Up Its
Statistics.
SOON 10 MAKE TOUR OF STATE.

Within the last week the industrial in
surance committee Of the Wisconsin Leg
islature has sent out 1000 inquiries to
manufacturers of the state asking for
information bearing on Industrial acct
dents The blank forms sent out by
the committee were compiled under the
expert advice of authorities on industrial
accidents Prof John Il. Commons of the
University Of Wisconsin, United States
Labor Commissioner G. +. NELL, Prof.
G. Il Henderson Of the University Of
Chicago, II. V. Mercer Of the Minnesota
employees compensation commission ana
others being asked for their aid.
Compile Accident Rates.
The object Of the Wisconsin committee
In going direct to the manufacturers
for facts regarding industrial accidents
Is to secure reliable data from which to
make UP tables of rates for various IN
dustrles. Steel furniture, gas, candy
and a hundred other kinds Of manufac-
turers have been asked TO give the num-
Der Of accidents in their plants during
the years 1906 1907 and 1908. They
also are asked to give the period Oh
disability in cases where the injured en-
pluye was away from work for thirty
days or more, The committee, in addi'
ton to this information, seeks data on
the cost of these accidents, including
doctor bills, hospital bills, lawyers fees
and other items entering into the prob
lem Of industrial accidents.
Great Economic Waste
The investigation of the committee has
gone far enough to date 10 show that In
Wisconsin there is a tremendous &C.
onomic waste under the present lack OF
in, qrip
In manufacturing plants. The "ambu-
lance chaser" is the chief offender. While
! great many lawyers take personal in
Jury cases on a fair percentage Of the
possible verdict. others take as high as
10 per cent. Of the amount finally award
cd an injured emplOye. The committee
also has found In its inquiry that manu-
lecturers almost without exception, are
enthusiastically in favor Of a law where
by injured employees may hc cared for
By general insurance scheme when
they are inCapactated for duty. They
point to the multitude Of cases whore
injured men are persuaded by lawyers
10 bring suit and how the cmplOye Is en-
couraged to cultivate the gambling spirit
Of fighting for a big verdict. In many
cases they lose their suits and get moth
ing beyond a heavy bin for legal services,
while in others they get half or as little
as 30 per cent. of the verdict, the lawyer
getting the balance Manufacturers say
that in great majority of case they
are unable 10 settle direct with their men
because the latter have been solicited
by watChful Ambulance chasers' to
bring suit in court.
In asking for information from manu-
facturcrs Of Wisconsin, the legislative
committee agrees to hold the data In
confidence. In carrying out this plan the
committee sends out with its inquiries n
separate card for the manufacturers
names locations ana business. These
cards, which bear number identical
with that on the schedules of questions,
are to be flied away under lock and key;
thus the statSticiHns and others at work
on the completed schedules will not
know the identity Of any Of them, this
information being held in strict conf
dence by the secretary If the committee.
Make Tour of State
For the present the Wisconsin com
mittce Is maintaining headquarters in
Madison. Within the next thirty days
1t will hold few sessions I'm various
manufacturing ccutcrs Of The state, La
Crosse, Eau Claire, Racine Superior and
MantoToc probably being inclGded in
the it'll erary. The hearings In all prob
ability will be held 10y the entire commit
tee which is composed Of Senators A.
W Sanborn Of Ashland, +. f. fnirchid
Of Milwaukee and John j. Blaine u
BoscOb"l and Asscmblymcn Wallace In
gall of Racine, &. y. 'ulbcrtsOu Of
STANLEY, Walter y. Egai of Superior
and George 6. Brew of West Milwau-
kee. Paul Wutrous Of Milwaukee Is
secretary of The committee and will ac-
COMPANY II GA its tour Of the state.
IyenlLG Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.