The Calumet news., 1913-06-27
PERFECTS LAW
IN NINE MONTHS
Every State In Union Watches
Progress of Accident Board

| immense amount of work done 10y
! Michigan's newest commission the
| Industrial accident hoard-tNpresS
wonder that the meager appropriation
ot $4,000 made al the second special
session in 1912 by legislature which
anticipated I'M Michigan repetition
| OF Nisconsins experience with work
mems compensation could have been
stretched to cover as long a period
as it has.
Micaigan's experience with work
mems compensation cannot Ice COM
pared with that of it's sister states
Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio-all Of
which have acts somewhat similar
.n operation. I'm the Badger state
, after two years experience with
Wurlluen's compensation, less than
600 employees are enrolled under the
act In ohio, until very recently.
aL'out "a bakers dozen had elected 10
operate under the provisions of the
Buckeye statute
In Michigan, when the act took ef-
feet September /, last, five times as
many employers acCeptanCcs as have
their written acceptunccs as have
elected faNorahly in Wisconsin dur
ing the entire two years of operation
of the act and today. with Michigan's
compensation statute but nine months
old. moro than 5000 employers have
elected To- reimburse their employees
for industrial accidents in accordance
With it's pruy isious
Initial Expense Heavy.
The initial expense in any business
is heavy. The same is true of a state
department The enormous amount of
printed matter which was required tu
launch the industrial accident board;
the bills for the postage required To
over the thousands of pieces of cor
respondcnce, forms. notices, bulletins,
etc, al necessary with the workings
Of the new act, Immediately ate deep
~ into an appropriation based upon a
predicted volume of business not a
fraction so great.
The beard took its duties seriously.
II believed that every citizen Of Mich
can, employer. empIove and innocent
hvstandor had a demand upon it's
time and services Efficiency was in
sisted upon and efficiency meant the
outlay ot more money IN procuring
full publicity for the act and for the
rulings of the board and i'm Impress
ing upon the mind or employer anl
,mploye alike the fact that the inter
national accident board was strictly
IN the job"
The result of this effect has been
to attract the eyes Of all America to
Michigan Everywhere the Michigan
act lis railcd as e model; 1t has been
adopted i'm part "r whole by halt a
dozen other states during the last
year Compensation experts have
iourncy,d from tho south. east and
west to study the Michigan plan and
To- famili1rizc themselves with the in
dustrid accident boards way of dis
patching IT'S business. More favorable
publicity has been obtained for Mich
t-uu through tn, compensation act
than has resulted from ary other piece
f. legislation ever adopted. The only
vriticiem that has oecn offered upon
the work ot the board is that il is
too alcrt-too iusistent upon strict
Observance of the spirit no less than
tie letter ~ the Compensation act and
as the great mass of Michigan wage
layers and wage -e1rnors are cnlight-
cned. progressive citizens, this crit
iCism has not served 10 decrease the
popularity Of the board.
staff Is Small.
I'm WISCONSIN. where only GOO EN-
rloycrs are under the act, high s5lar-
led experts are engaged; the Wiscou-
in staff is twice as 'arge as that of
Michigan board; the salaries paid are
! treble those which obtain upon tn"
| Michigan beard The same is true In
| comparing Michigan with Ohio or
with Illinois. or with Massachusetts,
ur with New Jersey or with Wash
| iugtun. The state which has made
| fhc greatest success ol worlmon's
| CONDENSATION has spent least In the
effort. The Industrial accident board
hns gmaller payroll per capita than
any other state department Sc on
! 10 none iu Importance this Commi3
| sion I'M ite clerical staff pays but one
| salary which oven approximatcs IN"
Graded minimum of 800 per annum
other salaries are 500 pcr year oI
legs. In spite of the small rcnumera-
| ton. ncrcssitated ny the inadequacH
Of the appropriation for the first year
there is no more loyal force of work
,rs i'm any state department than thu
| rlcricnl staff 81 the board. Overtime
ras been rulc rather than an cNc"p'
| ion. holidays have passed by un-
noted. so Interested have all been "
the work which they have to do. j
is safe go say that not a single en-
rIo@o - the Industrial accident hoar'
hps attcnnted 10 gauge his or her sor
4 vices bv the salary received Had thi'
tccn done. II would have been neces
earv - employ a force at least twi"r
as great
Five ueorlc do nothing but cXamin'
gvrooments. reCcipts and reports will
. 20 viov TO assuring injured omploye
: mll Justice under the provisions @
: the act. This is not done with ai
: idea that the omnloycr may attcmp
Co. beat" an injured workmen. bu
\ | I,,,...,g. rtstIt at tho IuFll 4,