The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-02-17
To TAX every
STATE INDUSTRY
Legislature Proposes to take ST.
100000 a Year for
Accidents

Owners of newspaper plants and
printing shops in the State of Wash
ington have just awakened to the
fact that their business is extra
hazardous andtbat they are brought
within the workings of the proposed
employees compensation bill now
before thestate legislature. Editors,
reporters and printers are not often
killed or mangled at their work.
Perhaps some folks think not often
enough. Yet the bill proposed pro-
vides that they must all contribute
heavily to the state fund.
To this fund for the first aid Of
injured persons" every proprietor
of a printing establishment must
pay 2 cents day for each employee,
and each of these employees must
also pay 2 cents a day, making
total of 4 cents daily. In addition
to this every employing printer
must pay one and one-half per cent
of the total amount Of his payroll
into the states accident fund. :"
There is no distinction as to the
character of the work done by en-
ployes. The news and business Of
flee men are Jumped in with the
machine and press men.
And the burdens imposed by the
proposed bill fall as lightly on the
printing business as on any. The
4 cents a day to the first aid is to
be drawn from every kind of bust
ness in which labor is employed.
The percentage of the total pay
rolls runs from one and-one half
per cent to 10 per cent. 1t has
been estimated that the first aid
fund alone will yearly amount to
50 900, 900 while the accident aid
fund will average between S., OOO,-
600 and Sc, 100000 year.
In other words practically every
productive industry in the state will
be so taxed that 81 900, 900 to S.
0OO,0OO will be taken every year
out OF. the industrial activity and
placed in the handsof commission
appointed through political influence
and holding office at the pleasure of
a political machine.
Hundreds of manufacturers in all
parts of the state have never had an
accident in their plants: have never
been called upon to pay any sort of
damages for injury to employees.
Careful investigation among all the
manufacturers and others whose EN-.
ployes are liable to personal risk,
shows that less than 500, 900 is now
paid as premiums to the liability
companies, and this covers all in.
juries and expenses of repairs.
Hundreds of concerns find it un-
necessary to carry even this form of
protection as their operation in
wolves no risk of any kind. Yet
all are called by the new bill to con-
tribute to the immense state fund
to be created.
The bill so directly affects every
every line of industry that it de-
serves greater attention than has
been given it by these interests.
The rates taxed are absurdly ar
ranged: Matchmaking takes a 5
per cent rate, while coal mining
is fixed at only 5; laying asphalt
paving is fixed at ) per cent, but
the dangers in saw.mill are con-
sidered worth but two and one half.
Yet carpenter work outside a saw.
mill is rated at three and one-half
and house-moving goes up to six
and one half. These inconsistencies
show that insufficient time has been
taken in preparing the schedules
and that no sort of justice prevails
in the comparative rates.