The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-08-10
COMPENSATION ACT IN MICH.
Story Of It's Inception and Adoption and
Men Who Pushed Il.

On September first. next. the SO.
called Employers Compensation Act
VIII go into effect throughout the State
ot Michigan. IL not only abolishes the
so-called common law defenses in
negligent injury cases. but at the same
time provides liberal schedule of
compensation to employees who are
killed or injured in the course of their
occupation. II therefore seems oppor.
tune 10 give a short history of the
several steps which led up to the final
enactment Of the compensation law at
the first special session Of the Miohi :an
Legislature last spring.
or course. there has been more or
less agitation In tavor of such a law
for many years. the injustice OF the
common law system becoming year
after year more apparent. as industry
became more highly organized. and the
processes more complicated.
The first definite step in the direction
Of general compensation act was
made by M. NJ. Duncan, General
superintendent OF the Cleveland Cliffs
Iron Company, in paper presented
by him to the mining Institution in
lshpeming some three or four years
ago.
In this paper, Mr.. Duncan exhaus.
lively reviewed the several compensa
tion acts IN force in the United States
aud in European countries. particularly
the acts in force in creat Britain and
Germany. This paper. at the time and
since, brought forth great deal Of
favorable comment, lot only from the
newspapers of the upper penir sula, but
from the press of the entire state.
In the early summer of 1910. Chase
). Osborn. then candidate for the Re.
publican nomination for Governor.
enunciated as one OF the planks in the
platform on which he intended to run.
the proposition THAT all employees
injured in the line of duty, should be
promptly and adequately compensated
for the injury sustained (" After
Governor Osborns election in Novem-
bar, 1910. the Michigan Manufacturers
Association, through its General AT.
torney, Hal II. Smith. OF Detroit pre-
pared draft Of compensation bill
modelled somewhat upon the British
Compensation Act. At about the same
time. Messrs. W. p. Belden. Attorney
tor the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company.
Frank Bell, Attorney for the United
States Steel Company and Allan r.
Rees Attorney for the Calumet &
Hecla Mining Company. in conjunc-
tion, prepared a compensation bin, also
modelled largely on the British and
German Compensation Acts, modified
of course, 10 suit Amer lean conditions.
When the Legislature met in Janu-
airy. 1911. the Michigan Manufacturers
Association bill was introduced into
the House and the Senate by members
from Wayne County The bill prepared
by the three upper peninsula attorneys
above named, was introduced into the
Senate by Senators Moriarty and
James Certain members of the
House. seeking little newspaper
notoriety and personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
had copies Of the two above named
bills made and introduced as their own.
However, the only bills considered
during the general session OF 1911.
were the Michigan Manufacturers Bill
and the Moriarty. james Bill. No
further progress was made. however,
than the introduction and passage of a
bill providing for commission of five
members who snould further iDvesti-
gate the subject and report back their
findings 10 the Governor at AN early
date. AS result, commission was
duly appointed, consisting of three
representatives of the labor organiza.
tions Of the state. and Hal II smith,
representing the manufacturers OF the
lower peninsula. and w. p. Belden.
representing the mining interests of
the upper peninsula After an exhaus.
tive study OF the several compensation
acts in force in the United States and
in European countries, an exhaustive
report was made 10 the Governor whion
embodied proposed compensation law.
In pursuance OF his determination
expressed while seeking the nomina.
tion. Governor Osborn called special
session Of the Legislature and placed
before IL the report OF the special com
mission and urged the immediate
passage OF law embodyinR the prin-
ciples set forth in the report The bill
prepared by the commission. was again
introduced in the senate under the
name Of the Moriarty James Bill. and
after a full discussion. passed both the
House and the Senate. In the Senate,
there was but one dissenting vote. that