The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-12-16
GOES DIRECT TO
MANUFACTURERS
WISCONSIN COMMITTEE ON INDUS.
TRIAL INSURANCE SENDS OUT
INQUIRIES.
COMPILE RATES ON DATA
Body Will Hold Informatio in Conf
dence in Making Up Its
Statistics.
SOON TO 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 fol-
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 r. Commons of the
University of Wisconsin, United States
Labor Commissioner @. p. Neill, Prof
G.. r. Henderson of the University OF
Chicago II. V. Mercer of the Minnesota
employees compensation commission and
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
dustries. Steel, furniture, gas, candy
and 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 OF
disability in cases where the injured en-
ploye was away from work for thirty
days or more. The committee in addl-
ton to this information, seeks data Oh
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 to show that in
Wisconsin there is a tremendous &C.
onomic waste under the present lack OF
system in caring for employees injured
in manufacturing plants. The ''ambu-
lance chaser" is the chief offender. While
great many lawyers take personal in
Jury cases on O fair percentage of the
possible verdict, others take as high as
20 per cent. of the amount finally award
ed an injured employee. The committee
also has found in it's inquiry that manu-
facturers almost without exception, are
enthusiastically in favor Of a law where
by injured employees may be cared for
by a general insurance scheme when
they are incapacitated for duty. They
point to the multitude of cases where
injured men are persuaded by lawyers
to bring suit and how the employe 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 heavy bill for legal services,
while In others they get half or as little
as 80 per cent. of the verdict, the lawyer
getting the balance. Manufacturers say
that in great majority of case they
are unable to 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-
facturers of Wisconsin, the legislative
committee agrees to hold the data in
confidence. In carrying out this plan the
committee sends out with it's inquiries q
separate card for the manufacturers
names, locations and business. These
cards, which bear, number identical
with that ON the schedules of questions,
are to be filed away under lock2and key;
thus the statisticians 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 of the committee.
Make Tour of State.
For the present the Wisconsin COM
mittee is maintaining headquarters in
Madison. Within the next thirty days
it will hold a few sessions in various
manufacturing centers OF the state, La
Crosse, Eau Claire. Racine, Superior and
Manitowoc probably being inciiided in
the itinerary. The hearings in all prob
ability will be held by the entire commit
tee which is composed of Senators A.
w. Sanborn of Ashland, E. T. Fairchild
of Milwaukee and John J. Blaine of
Boscobel and Assemblymen Wallace In
Stanley, Walter d. Egan of Superior
and George G. Brew of West Milwau-
kee. Paul J. Watrous of Milwaukee is
secretary of the committee and will ac-
company it on its tour of the state
Evening Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.