The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-14
COMPENSATION FOR
MEN INJURED IN
THE HARNESS

Washington Plan-Pres-
ent System wasteful
The University Civic club held
its first meeting OF the year last even-
ing at the law school. .. o. Trageton.
who was elected president last spring.
presided and delivered a short in
augural address. At the business ses-
sion. Clyde Duffy was elected vice
president Of the club to succeed Roy
Thompson. who did not return to the
university this year.
The speaker OF the evening was Dr..
James Boyle. founder and faculty ad.
visor Of the club, He delivered a very
instructive address on "Workmen's
Compensation Laws"
He spoke in part as follows:
lone OF the most beautiful passages
known letter Of Abraham Lincoln to
Mrs. Btxby. condoling with her IN the
sacrifice Of her Ave ons in the fight
to preserve the Union, is recalled by a
recent fatality in Pennsylvania. In
dustry eXacts sacrifices. but the moth.
ers are not offered such exquisite con.
ISOLATION.
From the Railroad Employees" we
learn that Flagnan James Mealing Of
the Jersey Central. residing at Mauch
Chunk. was killed in the switchboard.
Such an accident Is common enough,
but he was the last OF six sons. all
killed in railroad work. His aged
mother is Frustrated. nor 10 there any
one to offer her the tribute to Mrs.
BiShy in the solemn pride that must
be hers to have laid so costly a sacri-
ice upon the altar of freedom
is the sacrifice any less real or
pathetic? Work is a better thing than
war. and the transportation industry
OF the country u be conducted.
even with this frightful toll Of death.
The number Of personal injuries
received annually in this country now
total over SOC, 900. The loss of life in
as the annual loss during the Civil
war. President Harrison said 1T is a
reproach to our civilization that n
class OF American workmen should in
the pursuing Of a necessary and USE
full vocation he subject to a peril Of
life and limb as great as that Of a
soldier in time Of war"
rious methods Of dealing with the
problem which had been used in the
past. Those he named were local re-
lief societies. insurance carried on by
h trade unions. the employers liza
bility insurance, employers. liability
laws. insurance arrangements Of in
dividual firms such as the United
states Steel corporation and the Penn.
sSlvania railway. municipal insurance
for policemen. fremen and teachers In
the public schools. and the pension
system for old soldiers.
He showed briefly the ~inadequacy Of
these methods. dealing especially with
EMPLOYERS liability which is the onlv
remedy in most cases. DR.. Boyle stat
ed that this was wholly inadequate
because Of three common law de-
lenses of assumed risk, contributorv
negligence and the fellow servant doc.
trine.
To show that the money which was
collected from the employers did moi
reach the injured men. the speaker
quoted from the report Of the WASH
ington committee:
1t is reasonably we'll established by
statistics hat Of the sums OF money
paid by the employer for employers
liability insurance. little. II any. in en-
cess OF 20 per cent reaches the injured
emploHe or his family. In the state
OF Washington the sum paid last year
TOT such insurance was over $500. 900,
Of which nearly 100000 was abso.
lutely wasted"
And again from the Illinois report:
CLASSIFIED data from a number Of
companies covering a period Of six
years indicate that Of premiums paid.
42 per cent was expended for medical
attendance and indemnify; about 10
per cent for legal expenses and attcr.
neys' fees: and about 10 per cent for
investigations and claim expenses.
leaving about So per cent for expenses
Of administrations. consequentlyffgg
Of administrations. cost Of securing
business and profit. Since. in case an
attorney for the plointiff Is employed,
he usually receives one-thifd and fire.
quently one-half Of the amount re.
covered. 1t Is prbable that, out Of
every dollar at present paid by the EN-.
ploSer. only Is cents eve reaches the
person injured or his dependents"
The speaker then took up the Ger
man and English plans Of insurance
briefly and spoke OF the laws which
had been passed by several Of the
american states. He dealt more fully
The Ohio plan the speaker deecrih-
ed as an elective scheme Of insurance.
The money for the fund Is contributed.
90 per cent by the employers and 10
per cen, by the employe. The Wash
ington plan was put forth as the beet
law In this country. This Law is COM
pulsory. Every employer is compelled
70 contribute q certain percentage of
lis payroll. based on the character Of
the business. to the insurance funds.
In case 81 an accident. the injured en-
nloye is paid a axed sum withou, the
necessity az a lawsuit.