The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-06-28

piOOdOlJ luu Tue class AL lhC iSSN Va
the year, thus indicating that the
cost of insurance to class 10 employers
will be between $1.05 and SIPS per
thousand. Practically the same condi-
tons prevail in class %, working in
wood.
Printers Paid up for Years
In class Al, printers and publishers,
the preliminary call for three months
at $3.50 thousand, has produced a
fund of Sc, 464.72, from which $717.35
has been paid out for accidents-most-
ly OF minor character. At this rate,
the fund, barring an unusual succession
Of serious accidents, will last the print
ers or years without further assess
| ments.
Several Class Levies In Progress
Calls are being made each month in
classes ! to g, inclusive. These are
what are known as construction classes
and II Of the total of 81 deaths in
cluded in the appended statement, for
which claims have been approved, oc-
cured to employees. in such classes.
Monthly calls are also being made
on class II, dredging operations, the
balance being insufficient to care for
even one death claim, and in class 40,
powder works.
A three months call has been made
and practically all collected on class
10. coal mines; 9 deaths having ser
iously depleted the fund. Next to the
numbering industry, with "a deaths and
500, 1862 paid out to claims, coal
mines come next with a claim-cost of
$24,718.23. AS an evidence of the
interest taken by the coal operators in
their fund, several of the leading firms
are making up tables of contributing
employers, with the accident cost
charged against each employer. This
is done for purposes of comparison.
Need of "FIrst Aid'' Legislation
Employers, almost without exception,
express themselves as satisfied with
the law. The law provides the follow
ing scale OF compensation:
An unmarried workman gets $40
month and IS is added in case Of a
wife and S. for each child, up to $35
month. This is increased so per
cent for the first six months, but may
never be over 60 per cent. of the
claimants wages. In practice, the
so per cent rule works only downward.
The most that any claimant may re-
ceive is $3.50, with the majority of
claims much below that rate, single
men, for instance, receiving monthly
maximum of $50.
With the costs of necessary medical,
surgical and hospital service added to
the claimants wage-loss, dissatisfaction
is frequent and already decided
movement is under way to increase the
claimants wage-loss, or compel the
maintenance of so-called "fTst-aid"
funds, or both.
Employers Generally Pay Assessments
One of the predictions made by OPP
ponents of the law was that it would be
made ineffective by the refusal of en-
ployers to pay their contributions,
pending the decision Of the courts as
to its constitutionality. This predic-
ton bas not been confirmed.
Out of 5000 employers subject to
the law, only 80 have failed to pay on
demand and IA OF these cases have
been settled by the Attorney-General.
OF the remaining 10, many are in pro-
cess of adjustment, several are firms in
financial difficulty, and only a very
small proportion Of those in default
have shown their intention of actually
going into court.
Several defaulting firms are settling
direct with their employees, many of
such settlements being at figures great
ly in excess OF those for which the ac-
cident fund is liable. 1t is believed
by the commission that such settle
ments are being financed by the cas-
ualty companies.
The Dupont Case
The question has been asked by a
firm Of paid publicity promoters frankly
hostile to the law and alleged to be in
81 ax,1lox Of fha rocpoltxy ooponoDiac