Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-08-04
LOCAL Employers
ARE INCLUDED
Agent For Industrial Insurance Com
mission Gathering Labor Sta
tics Here

/, }, Welty, form erly deputy coun-
ty auditor, is In Pullman this week
gathering statistics and data on the
employment of labor in Pullman.
This information is to be used by the
state Industrial Insurance Commits
sion in establishing the amounts that
Pullman employers must pay to re-
lmburse employees injured or killed
while employed in similar work In
this state. This act is known as the
'Workmen's Compensation Act" and
was passed by the last legislature
and becomes effective on October /.
1911. The object of the law Is to
provide compensation for employees
killed or injured, and to avoid law
suits, with heavy court costs and at
torney fees, The state is made the
custodian of the money collected
from the employers of labor in dan
gerous occupations annd this is to be
disbursed by the state officials under
schedule fixed by law, which gives
to each employed person injured, or
to his family If killed, fixed amount
for compensation for these injuries,
or to provide for dependent widows
or children,
That the law is beneficial to all
concerned Is believed by many. 1t
saves the certainty of costs of law
suits for damages, with the attor-
neys getting half of the amount re-
covered and the uncertainty of re-
covering anything. While the COM
pensation is much smaller than some
of the big awards given by juries In
damage cases, the entire amount
goes to the injured person or his or
her family or relatives, if death re-
suits from the injuries and the only
person who seems to be the loser
by the new law is the personal in
jury attorney who usually gets half
of the amount awarded in a damage
suit.
To provide funds with which to
pay these claims each employer of
labor in the dangerous occupations
must pay into the state treasury on
or before January Is, of each year,
a certain per cent of the amount
of his annual payroll This per cent.
is fixed by the law in accordance
with the percentage of danger in the
occupation. For instance. powder
mills pay the highest amount, 1 per
cent cent of the annual payroll, for
that is the most dangerous occupa-
ton. Iron or steel structural works
come next, with $40 of one per cent.
The lowest rate paid is by the thea
ters, meat markets and printing Of
fees, this being OBS of one per cent.
Pullman has seven firms in the list
held liable for payment under this
law. These, with the percentage of
the annual payroll which they are
required to give for the maintenance
of the new law are here given:
Electric light and power plants,
.040; telegraph and telephone sys-
TENS, .030; laundries, 900; cream
cries, .015; printing offices, OILS;
artificial ice plants. .020; meat mar
kets, where tallow, grease or lard are
made, OBS.
Following is a partial list Of the
compensation allowed in case OF ac-
cidents resulting in injury or death
to a workman employed in any of
the occupations under this act
Where death results from the injury
the expenses of burial shall be paid In
all cases, not to exceed $75 in any
case.
If the workman or Workwoman
leaves widow or invalid widower
monthly payment of $40 shall be
made throughout the life of the sur
yiving spouse, to cease at the end OF
the month in which remarriage shall
occur; and the surviving spouse shall
receive 81 per month for each child
of the deceased under the age of 10
years at the time of the occurrence
of the injury until such minor child
shall reach the age of 16 years, but
the total monthly payment shall not
exceed thirty-flve dollars per month.
Upon the remarriage of widow she
shall receive, once and for all, lump
sum equal to II monthly payments,
or $24O, but monthly payments for