The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-15
Harvester Trust Adopts EN-.
plOyes' Liability Law.
Insures All Its Employees
Against Injury.
PROTECTOR FOR 25, 1000.
Disabled VIII Be Assured of an
Income.
Annual Expenditure Expected
to Be Half Million.
PROTECTOR FOR 25,O 900.

Chicago, April 15.-Ignoring the tardy
action Of state and national legislative
bodies. the International Harvester
company has adopted an employers
liability act on it's own account which
guarantees it's employees absolute pro-
lection in the event of accidents and
will profit the workers from $4,000 to
$500. oo0-possibly more-anuually.
Through the operation of this I'M
sanctioned legislative act the harvester
concerns army of $4,000 employees in
every state of the Union comes under
a uniform liability act which guaran-
tees each a given sum in the event OF
accidents. regardless OF legal technical
tiles concerning the responsibility for
such accident.
Income Assured Disabled.
Along with this is a guarantee of an
income of stated amount in every
instance of complete or partial DISABLE
ity of an employe. This also is granted
without investigation of responsibility.
This action of the harvester corpora
ton is unique in corporate reform
movements, in that the corporation has
passed of its own volition and with
out the persuading guidance OF leg1s-
lative enactment, reform law that Is
more radical than has been asked by
many of the most radical friends or
employers liability laws.
Inc new law WHICH Will go 1dLO CI-
feet next Monday, is modelled after the
German law, with the important DIFFER
ence that employees are not compelled
to pay a premium for this insurance.
Amounts to Be Allowed.
Here are the clauses of the claw:
In case death three years wages win
be paid, but not less than $500 nor
more than $4,000.
Loss of hand or foot. one and one
half years wages will be paid, but not
mr. so 000
Loss of both hands and both feet, or
one hand and one foot, four years
wages. but not less than $4,000.
Other injuries, one-fourth wages
during first thirty days of disability;
one-half wages for the remainder OF
the time of disability up to two years.
In addition to these provisions which
have been made on the part of the cor
poration without cooperation of the
employees themselves, arrangements
have been made to increase the benefits
through the cooperation of the work
ers 1t is provided that the employees
may increase the first months income
of disabled workers by paying monthly
premiums ranging froTH-6- to 10 cents
per man, accordingto the salary of the
employe-
Employees May Lend Aid.
This premium, it is explained by the
officials of the company who worked
up the new arran cement, is more be-
cause of the moral effect it will have
upon the employees than because of the
comparatively small amount of money
which will be taken through the assess
ment. Moreover, the employees may or
may not pay the premiums, according
to whether or not they wish to enter
into this particular portion of the
scheme
One of the most important provisions
of the plan is that it does not take
from the injured employee the right TO
go into court and sue the company in
the event of accident, just as he could
do under the more bunglesome methods
heretofore in vogue Should he accept
the terms of the table of compensa-
tions drawn UP by the company, how
ever he win be asked to sign a release,
absolving the company from further
responsibility.
Ambulance Chaser Cut Out.
Probably the greatest advantage to
the workers in the various plants of
harvester works is that the "ambu-
lance chaser and the shyster lawyer
who have profited by accidents to
workers in the past will be unknown
in the future. Neither will the worker
be compelled to wait a seemingly end
less period of years while the suit
against the employer IS pending in
the courts Nor viii he be compelled
to pay from rs to so per cent of the
amount realized in such action in fees
TO an adroit lawyer who works on
contingent fees"
Along with the plan the corporation
lawyers have worked out a compre-
hensive scheme for it's administration.
A department to be known as the in
dustrial accident department has been
created to carry on this particular
branch of the legal business. The de-
partment is to be managed by five
members appointed by the company.