The Detroit times., 1911-01-21
GERMAN SYSTEM
CITED As MODEL
Commissioners Of National Assn. Of
Manufacturers Discuss Employer
Liability Laws in Europe.

igan along scientific principles was
started Friday night with meeting
In the Y. M. C. A. auditorium, attend
ed by more than 500 business men
and manufacturers from Detroit, To-
ledo, Grand Rapids and many OF the
smaller cities of Michigan. Members
Of the legislature interested In the
subject came down from lansing.
The speakers were Ferd G.
Schwedtman and James A. Emery, the
commissioners sent by the National
Association of Manufacturers to
Europe to investigate the workings OF
the workmen's compensation acts
there.
President John Trix, OF the Detroit
Employers association, introduced
Mr.. Schwedtman, telling OF the need OF
some remedy for existing conditions to
prevent avoidable accidents and pro
vide for satisfactory method OF pro-
tecting both the employer and the
employee from the consequences OF
those that are unavoidable.
Mr.. Schwedtman took up the Ger
man system, illustrating. his lecture
with a series OF carefully complied
charts. showing graphically the re-
suits that have been obtained from the
Workmen's Compensation Act In Ger
many. He said in part:
employers liability laws have per-
haps been the most fruitful source
OF worry, dissatisfaction and friction
to the employers and wage workers OF
the United States. IL Is freely ad-
mitted that looking at the subject from
the humane, economic and legal view
point, our present system can and
ought to be changed.
After q thorough inquiry among
$4,000 employers of the United States,
q report was placed before the annual
meeting OF the National Association
OF Manufacturers and resolutions
adopted, OF which the following Is a
part.
Be 1t resolved, That the pres
ent system OF determining en-
ployers' liability Is unsatisfactory,
wasteful, slow In operation and
antagonistic to harmonious rela-
tons between employers and
wage workers; that an equitable,
mutually contributory indemnity
system automatically providing
relief for victims of Industrial ac-
cidents and their dependents, Is
required to reduce waste, litiga-
ton and friction, and to meet the
demands OF an enlightened ma
ton.
Be Il further resolved, That the
prevention of accidents Is one Of
even greater Importance than
equitable compensation to injured
workers."
Mr. Schwedtman devoted himself to
discussing the German methods OF
Industrial compensation. He said:
Practically all accident insurance in
Germany Is Of the mutual kind. Acct
dent insurance institutions are en-
ployers' associations organized ac-
cording to trades or crafts. for the
purpose of carrying mutually and
collectively their workers accident
compensation risk. Under the Ger
man law every employer must belong
to the organization of his craft and
to these employers associations is
given the necessary legal power to
enforce accident prevention and in
surance rules, not only upon the en-
ployer but also upon the worker"
The German Workmen's Compensa-
ton, Act provides that workmen shall
be compensated for industrial in
juries. including death, out of fund
of which about 80 per cent is paid
By the employer, IL per cent by the
employees out of their wages and
three per cent by the state for adj
ministration and supervision. This
about represents the percentage of
responsibility for Industrial accidents,
the employers taking the burden of
those due to the hazard Of the trade
and their own negligence to provide
safety appliances and the workman
paying for the percentage of acct
dents shown by statistics to be due
to his own carelessness The liability
of the employer is fixed and definite,
under this plan enabling him to make
II q part of his manufacturing cost,
and, ultimately, put the burden where
1t r.ghtfully belongs, upon the con-
suIner.
Mr.. Schwedtman showed In the IL
presented how such sim
pie devises as sharp points or soft
rubber tips on the lower ends OF lad
ders and hooks at the upper ends,
Gers and hooks at the upper
ends, painting dangerous situations
and parts of machinery red and COW
e-ing all projecting parts of machin-
cry such as the head OF set screws,
had resulted in Germany in reducing
accidents to minimum
Mr.. Schwedtman was followed by
James A. Emery.
Mr.. Emery alluded to the prevail
ing dissatisfaction with which near
ly all classes regard the continuing
of our own doctrine OF
employers liability. The delays and
waste incident to its administration.
the social friction continually In
creasing and apparently inevitably at
tached to It's administration, are q
source OF dissatisfaction to employer
and employee.
Mr.. Emery outlined the origin and
of the British Compensa-
ton Acts, beginning with the limited
legislation OF 1897 and
1900 and going in some detail into
the existing act Of 1906, the last ex-
preston of parliament upon compen-
sation.
"The act provides" he said, that
every employer shall be liable to any
workman In his employ for personal
injury by accident arising out of and
I'm the course OF employment. There
IL but one bar to recover II the ac-
cident be due to the serious and will
full misconduct of the injured person,
however, II II results in
serious or permanent disability, tho
workman may recover, no matter