The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-02-17
House Bill No. IA Unfair Both
to Employers and Employees
Continued from Page One


make one extremely safe and the
other extremely dangerous in which
to work. l need only to call your
attention to the history of this bust
ness when for more than twenty
years there was scarcely a single
injury, and to the great number of
serious and fatal injuries in the
Waldron quarry during the past
two years. There have been more
injuries in that quarry in two years
than here in thirty years. Under
this Bill they would pay the same
percentage.
No consideration is given to a
we'll and carefully managed institu-
ton or department over the most
slin-shod and careless one. All pay
alike, altho one may produce ten
times the number of claims as
against the other.
Ship or boat building pays .O45 cts.
quarries Zine 4O) pay .04O cents. In
the Moran Bros. ship building
plant in a period Of eighteen months
there were TIA accidents reported.
investigated and disposed of in some
form. In our whole plant, including
our quarries, we have not had five
percent of that number in thirty
years.
After reading this schedule | am
not surprised to learn that certain
very hazardous lines of work favor
the Bill. 1t clearly discriminates in
their favor and shifts their burden
upon other classes. l have no doubt
thei1 annual contributions under
this Bill would be much less than
they now pay annually for casualty
insurance. It is profitable scheme
for them. At the same time, we
would be compelled to contribute
more in single year than we have
paid for casualty insurance, for
damages for attorneys fees, costs
and expenses growing out of this
source in thirty years. Our bust
ness as whole is classed as extra
hazardous. 1t has many branches,
including teaming, gardening. farm
ing, wood chopping, ETC.. We must
frequently send a man from our
quarry or mill to assist on the farm
for instance. Read lines 26 to 20,
page 2, and note that he would be
fully covered while away from the
plant, engaged in manual labor or
otherwise, altho another man farm
ing for a neighbor in an adjoining
field would be absolutely barred.
There is no justice in this.
Read lines SO to 102, page 5, and
note that Deficiencies must be made
good by all employers of a given
class, regardless Of the well known
and enormous difference in the risk
in employments of same class. In
fact throughout premium is put
on shiftlessness and carelessness by
providing that all employers of the
same class shall contribute alike and
that all workmen shall share alike.
This principle is absolutely wrong
and destructive of the best interests
of both employer and employee.
A reckless, drunken or even vicious
workman is given the same care as
the most careful, sober and conscien-
tious one. Under this Bill there
is no incentive to an employer to take
any care beyond the strict letter of
legal requirements upon him, for he
pays a fixed tax anyway whether his
plant is an accident breeder or not.
True. he might thus incur heavier
premiums in future, but the damage
would already have been done.
Isolated plants, remote from CEN
tiers, from hospitals and from physi-
clans will have no encouragement
and no reason for any protection or
preventive medical measures on the
part of either employer or employees.
AS you know physician and sur
geon has been kept here for years by
the combined organization, action,
election and support of the employ
ees. Otherwise there would be, no
nearer medical or surgical assistance
in any emergency, however serious,
than Friday Harbor, ten miles away.
The nearest hospital is in Belling-
ham, IS miles away. Each employ
ee pays an agreed fixed sum each
month for this safeguard. All are
members of this voluntary medical
association Of employees including
the entire official and clerical staff
living here. Every dollar of funds
collected goes to the medical and
surgical care. Not one cent is d.
verted from it, even for expense of
book keeping. The company takes
care Of the accounts for the men
and the physician entirely gratis.
It has been very seldom necessary