New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1910-02-23
MOST TIMELY SUGGESTION
Indemnity Law For Industrial
Employees Advocated by A. c.
Ochs, Springfield. Ali Civil
lied Countries Ahead of
America.
The Injury of Employees.

Inc INJURY OF employees.
The Minneapolis Tribune under
Febr. IA. published the following COM
munication written by Mr.. A. G. Ochs,
Springfield, Mimi. It contains many
valuable suggestions, and is SO ably
written that we believe it to be of
interest to the readers of the Review.
Editor, The Tribune:
In the Tribune of Feb. 8. I note with
great interest an article pertaining to
the present agitation toward framing
a law for the compensation of our In
dustrial employees in case of personal
injury. [ am glad to note that the
general public is at least puzzled with
a subject which, in nearly all other
Industrial countries, is SO thoroughly
under stood that it needs no contro-
versy. The situation in this country
is this:
When a person engages in the
manufacturing business he takes out
an insurance policy, insuring himself
against damages due to accident that
may befall any of his employees; he
does this, not because he wishes the
employee to be compensated, but be-
cause he wishes to keep himself harm
less from damage suits. Many of the
indemnity companies have their head
quarters in London Or in other foreign
cities; their rates are exceedingly high,
but the careful manufacturer would be
no more without this indemnity insur-
ance than he would want to be without
a fire insurance policy. This item will
be added to the expense account, and,
consequently added to the price of the
manufactured goods. Is this not a
charge on the industry and on the tax
payer and-what is still worse-the
injured person does not get a cent of
1t. Why? Because, as soon as the
person is injured, the policy requires
the employer to report the accident
Immediately and the best lawyers are
retained by the insurance companies.
If the accident is such that the injured
person has a just claim, they may
offer to pay his doctor bill, or perhaps
to bury him. Now, what recourse has
the poor employe? Should he not be
satisfied, he will go to an attorney
perhaps friend of his, and will re-
tain him. These two lawyers will
meet for settlement of the matter.
Now, what a slim chance there is for
your worthy country lawyer and what
a temptation for the unworthy one
What chance is there for the injured
one? I thiLk it is statistically shown
that the injured have gotten about rs
per cent-the balance went to the
worthy representative of the law.
I, for one, believe that every cent of
it belongs to the injured person-he
should get it Immediately upon receipt
of a certificate from responsible ply
sicians, without having to beg for it
and without hiring a lawyer. I care
not who pays for this whether the
employer is assessed the entire amount
or whether-like it is customary in
Germany-the employer and the en-
ployes pay equal parts and the state
paying half as much as each of the
other TWO. The consumer pays for all
of it in either case, which is also the
case under our present law. do
believe, as the law now stands in Ger
many is the best so far known for the
reason that the employe is taxed about
Is per cent to 20 per cent; this gives
the employe a chance to get an insight
into the affair pertaining to his insur-
ance-he will take more interest and
this has a tendency to make him more
thrifty and, when be receives benefit,
he knows that he is no beggar, but
that he has paid part of it himself.
In countries where some such laws
as above indicated are in force, the
workingmen have devised appliances
for the fellow workingman's protection
against accidents, and, in some in
stances, have gone as far as to pre-
scribe garments least dangerous to be
worn around certain machinery. Put
an American workingman into q posi-
ton where he has chance to think
for himself and he will have little use
for any worthy or unworthy second
man to protect his interest as far as
life and limb are concerned.
In the same article of Feb. s, it is
stated that the legal profession is OPP
posed to such q law since it would
make public charge of great many
worthy lawyers. I maintain that it is
the duty of our lawmakers to make
laws that will save the public as much