Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-11
EDITOR
WORKHEK's C0MPEEsATI0R LAWS

4
sation bill was tabled upon report OF the house
/ judiciary committee, mainly for the reason that
Legislation on the subject in the states up to
that time was scanty and, in two OF the ex.
amples had failed to stand judicial review. Ac-
corling to a recently issued bulletin of the bu-
rcau Of labor statistics, the only labor compensa
Ion laws passed before that year were a federal
act of 1908, Montana law of 1909 and two New
& York enactments Of 1910 The federal law was
liinensed. in 1909, 1911 and 1912; the Montana
. LAW was declared Unconstitutional as was also
!. one of the New York statutes
4 However, in the year that the Hawaiian bill
was laid aside ten of the states passed compensa-
ton laws and i'm the two following years other
states followed which brought the total Of such
measures, including the federal law, up to TWEEN
1ty-four While two have been declared void by
1.-THE judiciary as stated, the constitntionality of
the statutes of Massachusetts,, New Jersey, Ohio,
Washington and Wisconsin has been upheld by
the highest court in each state. The act dis
tall0wed in New York was compulsory statute
applicable only to railway service, leaving on
the statute books the elective law relating to
Il other emplOYments.
i The first report published in the United States
devoted to the subject of workmen's insurance
Twas the fourth special report of the commits
Isioner Of labor issued in 1893, which related to
Il the system Of compulsory insurance in Germany.
Il At that time compensation for Industrial acci-
4 dents had been established by law in two coun-
4 tries only, Germany in 1884 and Austria in
1887. sSince the publication of this first re-
lport, SAYS the bulletin in hand, "the develop
Iment of the legislation providing for workmen S
compensation for Industrial accidents in Europe
and throughout the world has been extremely
rapid; in fact, it may be doubted whether any
. subject of labor legislation has ever made such
progress or gained SO general acceptance for its
2 principles throughout the world in so brief a
! period The Legislative summaries in the pres
ent report sh6w that foPty-one foreign countries
4 linclnding all European countries except Tur-
ikey) have introduced some form of workmens
{ compensation for industrial accidents, all of
j which, while showing great variations in the
industries covered, the amount of compensation
Z provided and the methods by which compensa-
i ton payments are secured, recognize the prin-
& cples Of compensation as distinguished from the
older idea of employers liability previously ac-
5 cepted in the civil law of continental Europe,
) as well as in English and American law
81 With so large body of legislation in existence
t as here shown, from which to mould measure
suited to local conditions there does not seem to
be occasion for more delay in the enactment of a
! workmen's compensation law for Hawaii It is
something that should not be omitted in fran.
ing platforms for the approaching elections. AS
the bulletin here quoted remarks, The amount OF
information now available seems sufficient to
! warrant the preparation of an adequate law to
meet any Industrial conditions.
!. Workmen's compensation insurance, it is in
4 teresting to note, is now a matter of regular
underwriting Data of operations in this respect
by the United States branch of an important in
surance company of London, transacting bust
i ness in thirty states of the Union and the
territory OF Hawaii, are given in the report For
3 the year 1912 the branch received premiums
j amounting to 1885,, HI in this division of in
s surance, of which A per cent represented pre-
i miums on employers liability, SO per cent on
{ other forms of liability and % per cent on work
4 men = compensation insurance In the report OF
: the insurance department of the state of New
i York, which investigated the operations in ques
ton, it is found that "the compensation is paid
promptly in all cases where the law # the state
/, shows clearly that compensation is due Is
Any delay in making settlements or disputes that
have arisen can in practically all cases he blamed
on the failure of the laws of the various states
CLEARLY to prescribe the amount of ;,enefit due
. the workman
ri -
II Answering the query of correspondent who
o wrote to this paper, Auditor Field today makes