The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-02
EVERY WORKMAN
LOSES NINE DAYS
FOUR ARE LOST ANNUALLY BY
WORKERS IN STEEL THROUGH
ACCIDENT.

/ WASHINGTON, Jan. livery
workman In the steel industry has the
expectation of nine days lost by sick
| ness In year as against four days
/ lost by accident. and II In estimates
that each year there are 224.7h 600
/ days of sickness among workmen in
the United States, cost 1872. $50, 900"
| said Joseph r. Chamberlain, of New
| York. speaking at the annual meeting
OF the American Association for La
| Dor Legislation.
(. The compulsory insurance against
accidents has been astonishingly rapid
during the last three years and 4.
bound to be followed quickly by other
| forms of social insurance was the
| opinion expressed by the association
| special committee and by Mr.. Cham
| berlain, the principal speaker. who
discussed the practicability Of COM
pulsory sickness insurance in Amer
lea.
Compulsory sickness and burial
Insurance is already an accomplished
fact in the United States" said Mr..
Cham beriain. "bnt II Is insufficient in
amount and totally wrong in It's meth
cd and purpose, and can never be
health insurance" That the present
Insurance. of the poor 1s enormously
and hopelessly expensive. and pro-
notes extravagant funerals, that work
men do not oppose compulsory insur-
ance, and that contributions of en-
ployers Is already accepted in prin-
c!ple that the enormous value OF the
organization of hospital funds. fra
ternal society and trade union hene-
fits, SO that their combined force can
be brought to bear upon the problems
of sickness, on the spread OF informa-
, ton, on the enforcement and I'M
provement Of legislation. Is at present
entirely dlssipated: and finally that
the problem OF sickness insurance
through legislation Is the problem Of
the immediate future in America, were
the principal arguments advanced.
sickness benefit funds among in
dustriai workers" were described ~
w. L. Chandler, OF the Dodge Manu-
featuring company, of Mishawslka.,
Indiana who declared that the time
is ripe to at least treble the effec-
tiveness of these funds. The en-
ployers and employees are going
through an evolutionary process with
reference TO SICKNESS insurance Wh1Ch
is paving the way for activity along
these lines much like of workmen's
compensation and accident proven
ton"
James NJ. Lynch. New York State
labor commissioner. presented pa
per on Trade Union Sickness In
surance." Among other prominent
speakers were Lee, X. Frankei. OF
New York; Henry T.. Harris of the
library OF congress; Reinhold r.
Koch. OF Philadelphia: Miles H.
Dawson. of New York. and Frank
O'Hara. OF the Central Verelin. of ST.
Louis.
At the business meeting Of the As
ISOLATION for Labor Legislation he
annual report Of work showing un-
precedcnted growth of the association
during this year was presented ny the
I secretary. John r. Andrews, and re-
ports were made for national COM
mit,ees by their respective ehairmen
as follows; Workmen's compensation.
Henry r. Seager. industrial hygiene,
Frederick l.. Hoffman: woman's work,
Irene 0sgood Andrews: one day OF
rest in seven, John Fitch; standard
schedules and fluctuations, Leonard
w. Hatch: social insurance, Edward
T. Devins. enforcement of labor
laws w. IT. Wiiloughby.