Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-10
WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION
Bills Discusses . rofessor Fisher Before Mass Meeting at Davis Theater-Under Auspices of Central Labor Union
 "A State Board Adjust Claims and State Fund Are the Two Strong Features of A. F. of L. Bill He Claims.

, lure our chances of passing bill, and should the bill be passed the high rate of compensation might prove decided handicap to manufacturers in Connec- ticut.
 The Manufacturers' Bill. The manufacturers bill Is about as good as any of them, but 1t has num- Der of defects. At every point oppor- amount of compensation, and the bill is not easy to understand. This bill provides no compensation for the man who is injured while under the inf1u- ence of liquor. or as a result Of some wilful act of his own. question whether widow and children should bc left destitute on this account. Filth CT some compensation, reduced per haps, should be made In such cases or else the compensation should be dou- bled when an accident is the result 0x some wilful negligence or the intoxica- tion of the employer. This bill also requires that a widow without children receive but 40 per cent. Of her hus- bands wages. To balance such a clause, there should be provision for an increase in the amount when the widow has several children or Is in especially needy circumstances. The bill requires that no compensation be paid except to such as are residents of this country. Thus foreigner with a family in Europe is killed and the employer pays for putting him under the ground If an. American is killed 1t will cost the employer two or three thousand dollars. Thus manufacturers are encouraged to employ foreign la bor and discourage Americans.
 Federation Bills Coed Points. .w
 Among several, the Federation is un- quesionably the beat bilL One fault lies in the fact that 1t provides no other assurance of payment except the state fund. It is of vital importance that the compensation be paid with ab salute certainty. Tn an accident when several men are killed the manufac- turer may not be able to pay the h1- teen or twenty thousand dollars which he is liable to. There must be a cer- tain guarantee The employer should be allowed to buy insurance If he de- sireS but this is iTnm ansely expensive.
 The manufacturers should be encour- aged to reduce the number of accl- dents. to make further provision for safety of employees. With an employ CTS mutual association, the manufac- turer would be encouraged to reduce each employer is dealt with separately and gets rate which depends entirely upon conditions in his own plant Moreover with mutual employers. assocation the rates of insurance would be much cheaper than in a commercial compa any. In Wisconsin an employers mutual insurance association was formed on the standard of the old line companies, with at-rate but 40 per cent. of the rate of the old commercial com- pany At the end of the year 15 per cent of the assessments were carried oyer to the reserve fund
 State Board and State Fund.
 A state board to adjust and decide all cases and state fund are the principal features of the Federation bill I would favor a state fund in which any employer can insure him self at a low rate, with a state board to decide all claims for injuries. The Federation bill provides 10 per cent. premiums of employers themselves and provides a compensation of 66 2-S per cent.
 How Will the Farmers Vote?
 The serious question is now. How will the farmers vote? You can't tell However. the aspect is much different from that of two years ago, and senti- ment Is much stronger in favor of the passage of the compensation bill. -Poli- tfcfans got in wrong at the last legis- lature by opposing the bill. and they won't dare to do it again. It is a safe bet that a compensation bill good bill will be passed,