The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-30
COMMITTEE FAvORS GERMAN
SCALE Of COMPENSATION
lndemniiieS In Cases Of Acct
dent or Death Fixed to
Aid BeneilCiarieS

Madison, Wis, March 9O--The spe-
cial committee appointed at the last
session Of the legislature of Wiscon-
sin to consider the subject of indus
trial insurance and report at the neAt
session has announced through its
chairman, Senator A. w. Sanborn oil
Ashland, that the committee would
hold its final hearing in Milwaukee
on Ap-il IL, when the draft Of the re-
roit and the bills 10 be proposed will
be made. Captains of industry, lead
ers Of labor organizations aud repre-
sentatives OF insurance companies
have been invited to attend the hear
ing.
After a thorough study Of the Euro
pean systems of compensation for I'M
dustrlal accidents, the Wisconsin com
mittee chose the German scale Of
compensation This gives to the man
who loses time through injury re-
ceived while at work. G5 per cent Of
his wages This compensation is not
to be paid, however, except in cases
where the victim is disabled for more
than two weeks.
Provision For Death
In this way it is hoped that the sim
ulation or soldering now so prevail
ent in Germany, will be eliminated.
Medical attendance Is provided un-
der the proposed Wisconsin system
In fatal cases where the victim leaves
persons wholly dependent upon his
earnings, the survivors are to receive
an amount equal to three years
wages of the dead man. The commit
tee ovcrcomes another objection l0l
certain foreign laws in this respect
Instead of providing that the money
shall be paid in lump SUM (often
demorali2ing to working people) the
bill provides that the money shall be-
paid In weekly installments over o.
period Of five years. A county Judge
may, however, order the money paid
in Il lump sum whore he deems it adj
visable
The proposed Wisconsin bill re-
quires employers who elect 10 come
under the system (the compensation
bill is optional) to cover the risk by
insurlng either in an insurance cor
poration or in a mutual company. EX-
sting wisconsin laws permit the or
ganization Of mutual companies, and
il Is expected chat employers in dif'
lerent classes will prefer to protect
themselves through mutual Insurance..
Suits To BE Lessened
Court suits instituted by disabled
workmen are expected 10 drop 10 q
minimum if the Wisconsin plan Is
adopted. In concerns where the com.
pensation plan Is adopted the employ
ef IS relieved of all liability other
than the fixed compensation covered
by insurance except in cases Of gross
negligence The employees in con
Germs that have adopted the compen-
sation plan shall be deemed to have
accepted the compensation scale and
TO have waived their common law
rights to bring suit All disputes. un-
de- the proposed scheme, are to be
referred 10 a board of arbitration or
three, of which the commissioner ol
labor and industrial statistics is to
be member ex-officio.
Supplementary to the compensa-
tion bill drafted by the Wisconsin
committee Is another tentative meas
ure making marked changes in the
defenses now put up under common
law by employers who are made de-
PENDANTS In personal injury suits.
Hits Fellow Servant Act
The fellow servant rule. which,
when proved as defense, relieves All
employer from liability, Is abrogated.
The same process Is proposed for tbs
assumption of risk defense which has
come down through scores OF years,
and which was created through court
rulings handed down before speedy
and hazardous machinery ever was
put into motion.
4 great mass Of data not yet tab'i.
lated is in the possession OF the Wis
consn committee one of the pertin-
ent facts brought OUT by this data
1 is that given number OF concerns
which carry employers liability in
surance actually pay more in dealins
with accidents than they would have
to pay II they paid at first hand the
compensation set forth in the tenta'
4 tive measure
i Members OF the Wisconsin commit
lee are Senators A. w Sanborn ol
Ashland. e. T. FairchiId Of Mllwau
kee and j. ] blaine OF Boscobel ano
Assemblymen Wallace Ingalls, Of Ra
cine, c. B. Culbertson of Stanley, W
d Egan of Superior and G. G. Brew
OF West Milwaukee r. J Watrous s
a 4.44I