The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-08-18
INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE LAW
Continued from first page)

tight. ne ulSSdtlSidCti OD WIFI lllC
present system Of employers liability
has been so great that immediate legis-
lation of some character has become
extremely necessary. The objections
which have been made against the
present system Of compromising work
men engaged in extra hazardous or
dangerous trades have been aptly sum-
married. as follows:
/. Only a small proportion Of the
workmen injured by accidents get sub
stantial compensation on an average
less than $500 in case of death, and
therefore, as rule, they and their de-
pendents are forced to lower stand
ard OF living and often become depen-
dents upon the state through public or
private charity.
Q. The system is wasteful and is
costly to employers of the state and of
small benefit to the victims of the acct
dents.
8. The system is slow in operation,
involving of necessity great delay in
the settlement of cases.
4. The operation Of the present
law breeds antagonism between en-
ployers and employees. -
1t has been estimated that in the
state Of Washington last year something
over $500, 100000 was paid to casualty
companies to secure employers against
liability, and that less than 500, 900
of this amount actually reached the in
jured workmen or their dependents.
1t has been further estimated that in
the last eight years over $o5 900, 900
has been collected by the Casualty
companies of this country, less than
$40, 10000 oil which ever reached the
injured workmen or their dependents.
This startling fact, coupled with the
Ubiquitous and vicious practices of am
bulance chasing" lawyers, has chal-
lenged the attention of employers, en-
ployes and the nation, generally, to the
extent that the workmen's compensa-
ton movement is sweeping the entire
country, just as it has continental Eur
ope. Today the United States is the
only civilized country in the world
which has not adopted in one form or
another the principles of Workmen's
Compensation.
The Washington Act designates the
dangerous industries of the state and
requires them to pay into what is known
as an accident fund.- a certain per-
centage of the total payroll varying
from one and one-half to ten per cent
In case OF printing, lithographing and
kindred industries the rate is one and
one-half per cent. The payment, how
ever, is not required upon the total
payroll of the year as is generally as
sumed, but is, to start with, only re-
CURED upon the last three months of
operation of this year. In other words,
the first payment to be made is a
quarterly one and the money so derived
from printers, photographers and others
goes into Class Al, the different indus
tries OF the state being classified into
Al different classes. Until such time
as the fund so created from the first
quarterly payment derived from the
printers is exhausted in the payment of
accidents occurring in that class, no
further contribution is required. If,
therefore, as seems generally true,
accidents in the printing industry are
few and more or less infrequent, then
it would seem that this first quarterly
payment would be all that would be re-
puired for some time to come, and in
the meantime will give the printers
absolute protection and security against
any liability by virtue Of any accidents
occurring in that industry. For instance,
if the average printer OF the state has
an annual payroll Of 100000 (the
payroll so mentioned representing the
hazardous or dangerous part Of the
work }, then on one and one-half per
cent basis the annual rate OF payment
or contribution to the accident fund
would be $4,000. The first quarterly
payment on this would be $3.50 and
would go into the fund Of Class Al, to
be used only for accidents occurring in
that class. Until such time as this
fund becomes exhausted, therefore