Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-05-25


economical men and women,-
the bone and sinew of the coun-
try,-and they have been guided
mediately reports his accident to his
employer, who acts as the employees
unpaid agent, presents his case with
promptness to the proper official ask
ing justice as provided by law; no
attorney appears to take case on d
contingent fee against the employer,
creating acrimonious relations, as is
unfortunately the case in our country,
where employers and employees imme-
diately become enemies In the Ger
man Empire the injured employees and
their employers remain friends to such
an extent that all proper efforts are
put forth to find such employment as
may suit the injured workmen, and
his service continues when restored to
health
In Germany all forms Of disability
known to experience are rated and
compensation paid accordingly with
absolute promptness. In the case Of
death the widow receives, so long as
she remains a widow, a stated sum
monthly and for each child a stated
sum monthly up to the age Of 16, and
a stated sum for dependent parents.
This is the method generally and
very briefly stated, as employed by
one of the most wonderful clmmer-
cial nations of modern times; the
method solves the problem skillfully,
Justly, is workable both commercially
and socially, whereas we, a modern
and highly enlightened people, are
still conducting clumsy experiments,
in an effort to work out great social
and industrial problem. Why not re-
cast the German experience into our
American mould? Appropriatlng with
out cost to us 25 years Of highly sci
entific effort that was crystalllzed into
success before we began our try and
lit method, Of taking the best laws of
one state Though all poor and the
bad laws of another, mushing them up
In the political crucble and then feed
ing them to the industries on the neb-
ulous theory that somehow they could
stand It.
with the coming of these unwise
and experimental laws, we see a
general curtailment Of production
throughout the nation, not Of existing
industries because the owners are in
and could not get out II they would
but in the astonishing lack Of new
enterprises; capital has become
alarmed because Of the unknown risk
that may wipe out the accumulation
Of several generations in one serious
catastrophe, where many workmen
Including the employer, may be seri-
ously injured or perhaps destroyed
whereas the German method OF
"Workmen's Compensation" through
out the years Of It's existence has
proven a safe vehicle, capable Of car
rying the industry-the employer
the workman and the dependents.
Il Is also Of special value to the
workman and his employer to know
that IN the German method, the funds
being in the state treasury nothing
can possibly occur to disturb their
safety, whereas In the United States
In about the ratio Of 80 to leave the
matter Of final payment to "the blessed
trinity Of chance, accident or mis-.
take" except where the claim rests
against an employer Of undoubted re-
IhnuNhlulllNgf huNu ha iuHMuAo thN
other permanent long lived institu-
tlons; but in the case Of the small
employers, Of whom there are said Ia
be 80 small to one large employer
In the United States, Il will be seen
that the small employer and the en-
ploye each face a serious hazard, In
that the smsll employer may be en-
tlrely wiped out financially by a seri-
GUS accident. aud the injured em-
ployes be unable to recover All Of
this is safe-guOrded in the German
plan as proven by experience
Our methods generally contain,
among other serious defects, the par
tlcular one that In the case Of the
death OF the workman. the claims
against the employer may run In favor
OF the widow and the orphan for q
period not exceeding five to fifteen
years; generally speaking, the object