The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-10-25
LIFE GIVEN HIGHER VALUE.
Workinemen's Compensation Law
Raises Price Ten Times.

Is. Among other casualties man
VAS killed. He was James II Meyers
head brakeman. The published reports
say his wages were SIS per month. or
$40 per week. James Meyers was
killed on the fourteenth day after
new Law had gone into effect In Mich
igsn, the Workingmen's Compensation
Law. To this law and the fact that
the weekly wage mentioned, Is 10 DC
added a third. that on the "Wednesday
following there appeared before the
widow and her two small children IN
Battle Greek an agent OF the Grand
Trunk Western railway. And, said the
agent TO the widow:
"Your compensation for your hus'
bands death will be $4,000. That is
the sum of $40 per week, hair your
late husbands wages, for period OF
800 weeks. II you want the $4,000 IN
a lump sum you can have II.
Three thousand dollars does not
really compensate for the death OF
figures with a dollar sign leading them
can do that Perhaps that was the
widows thought. But on the other
hand there Is a consideration OF what
might have been, what really was, In
the common run of cases, all through
the years that came to a notable end
Sept. LIST, last.
I'VE find that the average compen-
sation and relief as TO fatal accidents
In the industrial enterprises OF Michi'
gan had been s33s53," says the com
mission which Investigated conditions
while the old law was in effect
Whence II follows that, while one
may reserve To himself the reflection
that money compensation does not
wholly compensate, the measure OF
compensation is today more nearly
full than ii was Of yore; and the bal
ancris as $4,000 cash in hand agains,
$33s.53 won after long litigation and
continuous heartbreak, with ever the
haunting fear that there wouldn't be
that much, that the lawyers would get
II all. Not the least cruel OF the ele
ments OF the old time situation indeed
was this element of uncertainty.
People. are beginning to affirm the
belief that the new Workingmen's
Compensation law is the most bene
fetal single statute ever enacted by q
Michigan legislature.-Detroit News
Sept. q, 1912.
The foregoing story clipped from
the News, a paper which is certainl,
not biased ia favor of the Republican
party, seems to set forth the universe
opinion of the press of the state. Tht
leading dailies and weeklies of De
troit and other Michigan cities have
voiced the same sentiment In story
and editorial
Formerly, as shown in the story f.
the News, an injured employee was
compelled to spend from three to tiv,
years In fighting his damage cas-,
through the courts, with never a hope
Of getting more than half of the yer
diet rendered by the jury. Then the
amount paid for the loss OF human
life averaged little more than $500
This condition was made possible
by the fact that the old common Law
was on the side Of the employer. l
gave him several defenses which hav,
been abolished by the new law. Chic
of these were the fellow servant doc
trine and the doctrine of ordinar,
care.
Under these doctrines a man VIII,
had been injured in the performance,
OF his duty could collect little If i
could be show he had known the risl
even though he had been forced Il
assume that liability to feed hungr,
family. If. to pratect his loved one,
from starvation or shelter them from
the winters chills, he had taken a jol
at the side of an incompetent fellow
| employe, he was given nothing II
case of injury through the fault o
that fellow servant" whom. perhaps
| he had never spoken with in his life
II he was negligent himself. he coul,
not make the company suffer no mat
| ter how grossly they transgressed thu
principles of caution. They didn'
make the company divide on the neg
ligence--the worker bore 1t ALL
Under the new law all these de
| lenses are eliminated Now, when
laborer is injured, his employer mus
| come to him. They cannot "offer {,
| settle" They must pay down a certain
amount OF cash at once, an amour
based on the extent of the injury a
| determined by a state commission
| and on the amount OF wages the EN-
ploye was earning. There is no law
yer's fee. There are no court costs
| The workingman gets II all.
The voters of Michigan are goin
| to vote to continue In power the Re
publican party, the organization tina
has been passing measures in the in
terest of labor since its birth In thi
| state.
| A vote for Roosevelt Is q vote 10