The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-05-03
The Industrial Insurance Commission

press about the working OF our State
Industrial Commission since the I'M
fortunate explosion at Chehalis last
fall, in which a number of persons lost
their lives, that may have helped to
create in the minds of some of our
readers prejudice against our indus
trial insurance law that we determined
to print elsewhere in this paper a
statement, slightly expurgated and
toned down, from Commissioner Wal
lace, one of the members of the
board.
We believe insurance, administered
by the state, to be based on sound
economic principles, and have had,
after investigation, occasion to give
the law full endorsement. 1nsuring
working men against injury and death
thru privately managed casualty insu-
rance companies has proven expensive
and unsatisfactory, for the reason that
insurance companies, like all other
private enterprises, are run for profit
all the profit the traffic will bear,
while under government management
profit does not enter into the prob
lem. Insurance companies make as
high a rate as circumstances will per-
NIT, and when there is an injury or
death pay as little as possible. Set
Elements are slow, tedious and often
expensive. II the company is told by
its attorney that they can get out OF
paying anything at all on some legal
technically they go to law, to the
great injury Of the family of the dead
or injured working man. In which
case at least one-half of the claim
must be assigned to an attorney to de-
fend the suit, so that in no event can
the family of the working man get
more than half OF what the courts may
decide it is entitled to.
Under state management, the mat
ter would be adjusted without resort to
the courts and the working man or
his family would at least get all that
might be awarded. The whole ques-
ton would be settled without prof"
entering into the matter. That insu-
rance companies should oppose the
law is quite natural. They see their
business disappearing as other states
follow the example Of Washington.
The death and injury losses occa-
stoned by the Chehalis powder mill
explosion have not been settled be-
cause there was not enough money in
this particular fund to meet the awards
and doubtless the sufferers have cause
to complain. But was there ever a
law that did not work an injury to
some one2 Doubtless this can be
remedied. One reason why the money
in this fund was insufficient is the fact
that the Dupont Powder Co. refused,
and still refuses to pay its assessments
into the state insurance fund. The
enemies OF industrial insurance, the
private companies, are making war on
the law, trying to discredit it, by
pointing to this instance where appa-
rently it has failed to work satisfactor-
lily. But is this sincere, disinterested
opposition They are finding fault,
too, because suit has not been brought
against the DUPONT company to en-
force payment into the fund. 1t APP
pears there are other suits pending,
which, when decided will settle the
Dupont case, and the attorney general
is simply waiting until the cases are
decided, confident that the principle
on which the state rests will be de-
cided in its favor.
The law may have to be amended.
The state may lose in its case against
the Dupont company but the principle
of industrial insurance under govern
ment control will stand because it is
based on right, the right of the great
working masses to insurance at just,
fair and equitable rate, and the right