Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-30
COMMISSION
OPENS HEARING
IN OFT j N Wa
State Authorities Gathering
Information for Employ
ers' Liability and Work
mems Compensation Bill.

1llCll y SOl1lpCllOdC1OI ILL.
1t is probable that if left to Ottum.
wa employers and employees, an act
by the legislature might be adopted
having for its purpose the indemnifi.
cation of injured employees, for the ses.
sion or hearing opened this morning in
the rooms of the Commercial associa.
ton brought out talks by both sides
to the proposed legislation each fav.
oring certain plans that differed only
in detail. The employees representa-,
tive, J. A. Lukens of the Electric
Railway Employees, was the first
speaker called upon by Chairman J.
T. Clarkson of the legislative COM
mission. Mr.. Lukens declared the
employees favored the law Of Wash
ington state which deals with employ.
er's liability and employees indemnity.
George Heindel, as spokesman for the
employers, alluded to several states
having laws f this character, favoring
that in force in Ohio. E
Both speakers seemed satisfied that
law of character that would in
demnify the injured employe, would
result in common good to both en-
ployer and employe.
Mr.. Lukens advanced the proposition
that all of the employers pay their
indemnity assessments into a common
fund that shall be controlled by the
state, but that the proportion of the
assessments that shall be paid by the
various employers, be based upon the
hazardous nature of the business.
Mr.. Heindel advanced much the
same theory, except that aside from
classifying the various employers ac-
cording to hazard, he said the employe
should be assessed per cent of the
Indemnity in common with his en-
,ploxer,s This It was argued would In
sure safer conditions in that the en-
ploye being made responsible for him
self and fellow employe. would in a
measure become watchful against his
own and another's carelessness that
might lead to injury of an employe.
Mr.. Lukens did not speak at great
length. He did not favor the employe
paying any part of the assessment
levied oy the state board for the in
demnity fund.
In presenting the employers side of
the discussion, Mr.. Heindel said that
there as two states having compul-
sorry employers liability laws. One
Of these he said was Washington. He,
however, favored the law as adopted
in Ohio which is not compulsory on
the employer or employe to avail
themselves Of, but elective on their
part. He said that in the event of the
employer electing not to participate in
the laws provisions, the stock de-
fenses III litigations are removed from
value of participation under the law.
The removal Of such defenses as con-
tributory negligence, fellow servant
law, assumption of risk, ETC., are thus
made an incentive to the employer to
come under the law, said Mr.. Heindel.
His theory was for the state to take
charge Of the distribution of the in
demnity by the selection Of a board
that will have the control of the COL
lecting of the assessments, as we'll as
their making, and the classification Of
the various employers according to
the hazard Of the enterprise over
which they have control. He favored
the state bearing the expense Of main
tanning this board and caring for the
fund, its distribution, ETC., holding that
the state at present bears the expense
of maintaining the courts which he
said were largely burdened with liti-
cations brought about by injuries and
diss bilities. He classed his plan as
an industrial insurance fund among
tat should be administer
ed by the state, holding that 1t would
not cost the state any il1ore if as much
as the present court litigations which
would be largely obviated under the
plan. ssgsssa..
Judge J. L. Stevens Of Boone, was
called away from the hearing about
1880 o'clock and stated before leav-
ing. that Ottumwa had the largest
gathering Of the several places in the
state that were visited by the COM
mission.
D. F. Morey of the Morey Clay Pro-
ducts Co., was called upon and said
that at meeting Of some thirty-fve
or forty employers held last evening, it
was decided that they favor law that
would do away with litigation over in
jury cases, by paying into fund GER
tain sum periodically to indemnify in
jured employees.
FREMONT, NEBRASKA,
SUFFERS FROM FLOOD
FremonP Neb.; March 29.-All south