Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-18
TO AID employees
Steel Trust Latest Big Concern
to Provide System of Re-
lief for Injured.
TO TRY PLAN FOR ONE YEAR
Payments Made by Company Alone
and Are Based on Wages and
Length of Service.

| New York, April 1S.--In state
ment e. H. Gary, chairman of the
United States Steel corporation has
adopted a plan by which his corpora
ton has adopted a plan by which it's
! employees will be provided for in
case of injury. Under the plan re-
/ lief will be paid for temporary dis
ablement, for permanent injury and
| for death. The payments are en-
| tirely voluntary by the corporation
and the employees are not expected
to contribute.
Text of Statement.
The statement is as follows:
"Since December, 1908, officers of
the United States Steel corporation
and subsidiary companies have been
developing a plan for the relief of
men injured and the families of men
killed in work accidents. A plan
has now been adopted and will be
put into operation at once. This is
purely voluntary provision for in
jured men and their families made
by the companies without any con-
tribution, whatsoever from the men.
In principle, it is similar to the Ger
man and other foreign laws and to
recommendations which have been
made by the employers liability
commissions of New York and other
states since our work upon this plan
was begun.
Married Men Profit Most.
Under this plan relief will be
paid for temporary disablement, for
permanent injuries and for death.
The relief is greater for married men
than for single men and increases
according to the number OF chill
dren and the length OF service.
During temporary disablement
single men receive 35 per cent of
their wages and married men so
per cent, with an additional 5 per
cent for each child under 16 and 2
per cent for each year OF service
above five years. Following the pro-
visions of all foreign laws and all
legislation suggested in this coun-
try. there is a period of ten days be-
fore payment Of relief begins.
Lump Payments Given.
For permanent injuries lump
paymentsc are provided These are
based upon the extent to which each
injury interferes with employment
and upon the annual earnings of the
men injured. In case men are killed
in work accidents, their widows and
children will receive one and one
half years wages with an additional
10 per cent for each child under
Is and per cent for each year of
service above five years.
For some years the subsidiary
companies of the United States Steel
corporation have been making pay
ments to men injured and to fam
lilies of men killed, in practically all
cases without regard to legal liza
bility These payments have amount
ed to more than 100000. a year,
but it is believed that the plan now
adopted will result in additional ben
efits.
Purely for Relief.
at should be understood that
these payments are for relief and not
as compensation. There can be no
real compensation for permanent in
jury and the notion of compensation
is necessarily based on legal liability,
which is entirely disregarded in this
plan, as all men are to receive the
relief even though there be no legal
liability to pay them anything, which
is the case in at least rs per cent
of all work accidents.
Tried for One Year.
Experience will perhaps lead to
some notifications of this plan, but
it will be in operation for one year
from May 1, 1910, and If It meets
with success and approval from the
men and the public, 1t is hoped that
similar and possibly improved plans
may be adopted in succeeding years. |
cit is our purpose by this plan to |
treat employees fairly and generously
even under the most enlightened |
view of an employers responsible
ity.
also for the. period first above re-
ferred to, there has been under con-
q plan for the payment of |