The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-11
ACCIDENT
COMPENSATION
LAWS ABROAD

Waste In Distributing the Recon-
pense Is Eliminated-Just Distri-
button of Loss Promoted-COm-
pulsory Compensation Reduces Ac-
cidents.
Exclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau.)
The cumbersome, cratic and I'M
ulating the rights of master and SER
want in regard to accidents justify
legislative interference, except where
the injury results from the intended
wrongful act of the one hurt, so that
the loss may be borne not by him
on whom it may happen to fall, but
by those who benefit by the danger
Gus business to which it is incidental
for when a person on his own re-
sponsibility and for his own profit sets
in motion agencies which create risks
for others, he ought to be civilly res
ponsible for the consequences" Log
ically each industry should "bear it's
own costs in human life as well as in
wear and tear on machinery. We
have been slow to abandon the old
theories of 'tliability for negligence"
by requiring an employer to compen-
safe all workers injured while at their
jobs according to uniform rate re-
CARELESS Of the cause of the accident.
This plan, though limiting an employ
er's liability to a certain fixed and
moderate proportion of the economic
loss resulting seems to many to be
an over radical proposition. So we
are among the last of civilized coun-
tries to abandon the old liability law
governing industrial accidents. While
it may be discreditable to be SO far
behind, it is to our advantage to have
the new laws in actual operation, SO
that Europe can be our laboratory.
Germany in 1894 was the first to
enact legislation embodying the new
principle Of liability, Austria, Finland,
England, France, Holland, Sweden,
Denmark, Belgium, and Hungary have
followed her example. The foreign
systems digress considerable but are Of
two kinds-those in which the en-
safe his workmen on a uniform plan,
and those in which he must also in
sure against this indemnity. In the
former system, of which. the English
law is an example, a workman is as
sured indemnity from his employer
for accidents. In the latter, which is
the German system this indemnity is
doubly assured because the employer
is compelled to insure himself against
it. The provisions Of the German
compulsory workingmen's insurance
law relating to accidents are as fol-
lows:
Workmen in manufacture, mining,
agriculture, forestry, building, trans
portation, navigation, ETC., receive
compensation in all cases, except
where the injury was Intentionally
self-inficted. In non-fatal cases be-
ginning with the 18th week of disabi1-
ity, employers are required to fur
nish full medical assistance and two
thirds, in rare cases 100 per cent. OF
the regular earnings. In fatal cases,
a funeral benefit equal to one-f1fteenth
must be given and the widow until
remarriage gets 20 per cent. of her
husbands regular earnings and for
each child up to it's fifteenth birthday
20 per cent. is allowed with 80 per
cent Of the deceased's regular earn
ings as the maximum. BY another
law all workmen who receive not over
$3.50 must insure In local associations
and the employer must pay one-third
of his premium. During the first
thirteen weeks of disability from in
jury a man is entitled to benefits from
this association.
Disputes are settled by boards OF
arbitration and the employers in each
industry are required to form accident
contribute according to risk of trade
and to payroll. The right to sue un-
der the Employers Liability Act is
not retained for workmen covered by
this act.
The scheme has several striking
features. By requiring compensa-
ton for all except self-inf1icted in
juries it eliminates all disputes over
questions of negligence. BY requiring
emnloyers to insure. the workman is
protected even in case of his employ
er's bankruptcy. The employers as
ISOLATION formed for purposes of in
surance as required by the law be-
come agencies for preventing acct
dents and for securing the best medi-
cal help for injured workmen. This
IS because assessments depend direct
" upon the frequency Of serious ac-
,idents among all workmen in all the
plants in an association and it is to
the interest of all employers to keep
down their assessments.
In England, in 1893, the rules Of the
common law had been modified by
statute and there was dissatisfaction
with the law on all sides. The
Workmen's Compensation Act was
passed in 1879 and at first was limit
ed to employees on railways, in fac
tories, mines, -quarries. in engineer
ing work. and in construction work
On buildings over thirty-feet high. In
1900 agricultural workers were added
and in 1906 practically all employees
were included, even domestic servants.
In fatal cases three years earnings
are given to the dependents If there
are any. In non-fatal cases weekly
payment not exceeding 50 per cent.
be made go long as the disability lasts.