The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-07
MANNED TOILERS.
Two Millions Annually Injured In
Industry.
PROBLEM OF COMPENSATION.

United States Behind All Other Civil
iixsd Nations In Laws For Protection
Of Workmen-laek Of Safety Devices
LSrseIy Responsible.
John Mitchell. former president OF
the mine workers. in a recent address
before the Liability Insurance associa-
tio1 said In part:
Industrial accidents and compensa-
tion for losses caused by them are
subjects in which the workingmen are
more directly interested than any 9TH
CT group in society. Primarily the
workingmen are more concerned with
the means Of preventing Industrial ac-
cidents than they are with the subject
OF compensation for losses caused by
them. 1t is all very we'll for work
nan 20 receive $1,000 for the loss Of
an eye or the loss Of Il leg. but it Is
much better for the workman, as 1t Is
for society. that the eye or the leg be
not lost
In the United States the number Of
persons killed and injured is not even
counted. but William Hard credits the
American Institute of Social Service
with the statement that 53G. l65 work
men are killed or manned every yesr
In American industry. while Dr. Hoff-
man has estimated the annual number
of industrial accidents at approximate
ly 100000. AS a matter Of fact, how
ever. the death roll of industry Is
longer than is evident from official
figures. 1t Is strange commentary
upon our boosted American civilization
that In this country twice or three
times as many persons per thousand
employed are killed and injured in the
course of their employment as in any
other country in the world
When we observe the contrasts be-
tween the lumber killed and injured
In the industries of other nations with
that Of our own we are led to the con-
clusion that IL it cost more to kill a
workman in American than to protect
him, as 1t does in Europe. the Amari-
can workman would not be killed--he
would be protected, and the number
OF industrial accidents would be re-
duced at least one-half.
As further means Of reducing &C.
cidents our Ubiquitous and antiquated
liability laws should be supplanted by
an automatic system Of compensation
to workmen for losses caused by In.
dustrial accidents.
The United States is now the only
industrial nation on earth that main
tains the old system Of liability based
upon negligence. We still live under
the common law only slightly modi-
6ed by statute.
no remedy at law II his injury were
caused by the act Of fellow work
man or IL he contributed in any de-
gree to his own injury. In many in
stances he has no remedy at law what
ever. because 1t has been held by the
courts that the workman in accepting
employment assumes all the risk Of
his work.. The result Of all this Judge
made law has been that the workman
is practically helpless, the employer is
under heavy expenses defending him.
self in the courts. and the courts of
the state and nation are burdened be-
yond their capacity with litigation that
In every other nation is eliminated be-
cause of the automatic settlement Of
such claims.
It may be interesting to consider the
expense and the useless waste Of mon
ey which is involved under our present
liability system. Mr.. Hard states in
his booklet that in the eleven years
1S94-19o5 the employers liability COM
panies of America took in 800 $50 O75 in
premiums from American employers
and that these companies paid out in
the settlement Of claims Of injured
workmen 1860, 49s. or 43 per cent Of
the amount they took in. OF the $43.-
SOC. Ass paid in the settlement Of
claims Of injured workmen l believe 1t
Is sofe to say that IS per cent was ex.
pended by the injured workmen In the
payment of attorneys fees and court
expenses. SO that in the tinal analysis
the injured workmen received less
than S3O.OOO.O 900 out of the 500. OOO. 600
paid by employers during this period
In premiums to liability companies
In other words. $4,000. 600 was vast
ed-worse than wasted-because the
money was used in burdening our
courts with litigation and in delaying
or defeating the settlement Of claims.
many Of them just claims. when It
should have been used and would be
used under a wise system for the i'm
mediate relief OF the men and their
families who are the victims Of the
hazard Of Industrial pursuits.
am not prepared to say that even
though the entire S1OO,OOO,O 600 had
been paid directly to the injured work
men it would have been sufficient to
have indemnified them for their loss
es, but do believe that it would not
have required very much more to have
compensated them on the basis OF the
British workmen's compensation act.
believe that industry should bear the
burden Of the pecuniary loss sustained
by workmen as a result OF. industrial
accidents, just as it Is now required to
repair its machinery and to Offset th-
loss caused by depreciation in the val
ue OF its plants. The workmen and
those dependent upon them are and
vii; be under any system required to
bear ali the physical pain and mental,
suffering. For this they cannot be re-
imolrse,l. but they should be relieved
Of the narrowing fear Of hunger and
~aa.. They should be guaranteed
sga.nst the humiliation and degrade