The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-27
GERMAN SYSTEM OF W0RKMEN'S
 COMPENSATION
Representative of National Man. ufacturers' Association Ad- dresses Hartford Manufactur- CTS and Members of the Gen eral Assembly

F. c. Schwedtnan, chairman of the liability committee on the National Association of Manufacturers, deliv- cred an address Tu a5day under the auspices of tho Manufacturers Asso- citation of Hartford, upon the German system of workingmeIl's compensa- ton, as follows:
 Twelve state commissions, one fed eral commission ,lnd 8 number Of or ganizations are at the present time actively engaged in reviewing our occupattonaI accident and t1feir de- pendents. Two states, New York and Ohio, have enacted new laws Tn the last year. A number of states are ex- pected to propose new legislation Tn the present year, and within the next ten years probably every state in the Union will consider new legislation. Employers liability laws have per haps been the most fruitful source of worry, dissatisfaction and friction to the United States. It is freely ad- mitted that looking at the subject from the humane. economic and le- gal viewpoint, our present system can and ought to be changed.
 Impressed with the continually 1n- creasing importance of this subject, it's appeal to justice and humanity, as well as to common sense and its relations to national efficiency, the National Association of Manufactur- Kirby, jr., it's president appointed a special committee to investigate the whole question from the viewpoint of the progressive employer. have the honor of serving as chairman or this committee. After a thorough inquiry of this committee. After a thorough inquiry among 2b.000 em- ployers of the United States, a re- port was placed before the annual meeting of the National Association of Manufacturers and resolutions were adopted, of which the following is "a part:
 Be it resolved, That the present system of determining employers ha- bility is unsatisfactory, wasteful, slow in operation and antagonfsttc to har- monious relations between employers and wage-workers; that an equitable mutually contributory indemnity sys- tenn automatically providing relief for victims of industrial accidents and their dependents is required to re- duce waste, litigation and friction, and to meet the demands of an en- frightened nation.
 Be it further resolved, That the prevention of accidents is one of even greater importance than equitable compensation to injured workers:
 This resolution con-eys the attitude of ninety-nine out of one hundred employers and the remaining one ul- tra-conservative employer will find 1t good policy to work construct1vely with us, bearing in mind that unless this problem is settled in common sense, equitable and economic man. ner, the demagogue, the agitator and the socialist will settle it for us with a vengeance. To continue the inves- tigation undertaken, James A.. Elm cry and myself as commissioners from the association, visited Europe last summer for the purpose of ob- serving the operation of the prevail ing systems for the compensation ana prevention of accidents. We visited Hnggary. Hngaan1 Belgium, Holland. switzer- land and Italy. We have made a special investigation of the accident prevention institutions which are To- cated in Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, Vienna. Buda-Pesth Zurich and Milan.
 Mr. Schwedtman went on to tell how every source of official informa- tion, much of it never published yet, was placed at the command of the commission. This information, which is a necessary prerequisite for an in telligent and successful dealing with | the problems with large number of specially prepared illustrative charts, will appear in volume soon | to be issued by the National Assoc1a- | B. will be the last and fullest word on | the entire subject and will contain a | vast amount of information, inyalu able for the lawmaker, the manufac- turer and the worker.
 MT. Schwedtman devoted himself to discussing the German methods of industrial compensation. He said: | Practically all accident insurance | in Germany is of the mutual kind
 Accident insurance institutions arc | employers associations, organized ac- cording to trades or crafts, for the | purpose of carrying mutually and col l lectively their workers accident com l pensation risk. Under the German law every employer must belong tc the organization of his craft and te II en the necessary legal power to en-
 force accident prevention and insur' ance rules, not only upon the employ.
 CT but also upon the worker.
 The whole administration of ths
 compensation law has really beer ployers; always of course, under tht supervising control of the state
 through the imperial insurance de partment.
 the German system is only l 2-10 pe cent of the total amount of insur ance expenditures and the total eff ciency of the insurance system IS re markedly high. It must De remem bered that such a high point of eff l fciency car hardly be attained un
 der any other system; first, becaus
 employers associations carry the ac cident insurance on a mutual basl |. and need make no profits for stock | holders, nor do they pay commission of any kind to solicitors. Second they are headed by employers of higl standing and much experience wh \ devote their time and intelligence t | the good cause without pay. Thiro ' because prevention is encouraged un ' der this system. There is still a ' additional reason for the low cost o the German system, in that much o
 the expense of the German 1nsuranc department is paid out of the gen \ eral government funds.
 Numerous charts and other illus \ trations thrown upon the screen mad \ MT. Schwedtman's address vivid t \ his audience. Speaking of accident
 Mr. Schwedtman remarked furthe CT: That truth is stronger than f1ct1o N o1yid ant fha Sfndy of 9CCidpn