The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-04-21
ONE DEFECT
OF new LAW
First aid feature which
corporations struck out
would have knocked out
hospital graft
Seattle, Wash, April l6, 1911


of the compensation act still exists
among some of our readers. The othel
day workingman was heard to com
plain because he would be required tC
pay the percentage of wages necessary
to create the fund. Needless to say
that he was misinformed In section I
of the act under schedule of contribu
tions we find the following: at snail
be unlawful for the employer to deduct
or obtain any part of the premium re
quired by this section to be by him paid
from the wages or earnings of his work
men or any of them, and the making ol
attempt to make any such deduction
shall be a gross misdemeanor."
Present conditions as to hospital aid
to injured employees is certainly bat
under the present system where labor
is unorganized and consequently unable
to cope with the situation. Nearly al
unorganized labor is assessed $l.00 a
month for hospital dues regardless OF
whether they work more than one day
in the month. Contracting hospital as
sociations solicit the right to care fol
the injured and pay employers from
10 to 25 per cent for Withholding as
sessments from workmen's wages. The
workmen has no choice of doctors, sur
geons or hospitals. Once within these
institutions his friends are very fire.
quently refused an opportunity to see
or advise him until claim agents of the
interested corporation or casualty COM
panies have bull-dozed the sufferer in
to signing some paper which he at
later date discover is waiver of his
rights to sue for damages.
To correct these conditions labor
sought to haye first aid provision
in the compensation act, but their eff
forts were defeated by the combined
efforts of corporation and hospital as
sociations who We're deriving a profit
from the business as conducted at
present. In section "a of the compen-
sation act relative to conduct, manage
ment and supervision of department, we
find rule 4, which reads: Supervise
the medical, surgical and hospital treat
ment to the intent that same may be in
all cases suitable and wholesome" I'm
der this rule some of the most notori-
ously bad hospital associations should
be forced to do better by their pa
tients or go out OF business.
After all compensation is not what
want so much as they want
of machinery and lessening
of the risk of employment. Section 8
of the act says IF any workmen shall
be injured because of the absence OF
any safeguard or protection required
to be provided or maintained by, OF
pursuant to, any statute or ordinance,
or any department regulation under
any statute, or he, at the time of the
injury, of less than the maximum age
prescribed by law for the employment
of minor in the occupation in which
he shall be engaged when injured,
the employer shall pay into
the accident fund 80 per cent of the
amount awarded to the workman for
injuries received. In short the employer
is penalized so per cent when he vio-
Iates legislation regarding safeguards
or age of employees.
If on the other hand the employe is
personally at fault for having removed
the safeguards at the machine where
his injury occurs, he is penalized to the
extent 10 per cent of the compensation
he should have received for the injury
Under these conditions employer and
employe will be cautious to comply with
the requirements of the law.
Other items of interest to working
men will be commented on from time ia
time in order that they may be fami-
liar with the act when it goes into eff
feet. Meantime any one desiring the act
in full can secure the same while they
last by forwarding name and address
to Chas. R. Case, president State Fed
Grafton of Labor, 1918 10th Ave. N.
Seattle.