Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-14
JERSEYS
ADMINISTRATION
OF LIAB|LITYLAWS
Public Service Official Glad
There Are No MeddIesome
Compensation Commissions.
Special to the Evening star. :

Special to the Evening Star.
ATLANTIC CITY, Oct. 14.-Praise
for New Jerseys system of admin
istering the workmen's compensation
laws, otherwise known as the en-
ployer's inability laws, was contained
in the address of John ]. Burleigh,
second vice-president of the Public
Service Corporation, before the
American Electric Railway Associa
ton at it's convention here this after
noon.
Mr.. Burleigh's address was in the
nature of discussion of the speech
delivered yesterday by Harry A. Bull
lock, secretary of the New York Mu-
nicipal Railway Corporation, Brook
Ign. Mr.. Burleigh expressed pleasure
at the fact that there are no high
salaried compensation commissioners
in this State. He said:
Mr.. Burleigh's Address.
az have been asked to discuss Mr..
Bullock's paper on The Aspects Of
Workmen's Compensation Laws
The subject is timely and important.
Any discussion of 1t must, to justify
itself. treat of it as an actually
which is confronting us in our bust
ness, rather than as an academic
question which might be considered
In the abstract.
MANY States have adopted COM
pensation acts and the principle has
been written into our Federal stat
utes, so 1t seems apparent that there
will be no radical backward steps
among the States, but, on the other
hand, that such States as, have not
yet passed such compensation laws
may reasonably be expected to fall
in line before long. New Jersey is
one of the commonwealths that pro-
vide by statute for benefits for in
jured employees and our company has
had some three or four years ex-
perience under the workings of the
act My views on the subject, there
fore, are based largely on the knowl-
edge gained from the practical OPP
GRAFTON of the New Jersey law as it
affects utility companies.
1t is not my purpose to delve into
statistical details. 1t is enough for
the purpose of my part of this discus
sion to say that | thoroughly believe
in the main principle Of the work
mems compensation act AS stated
above, that principle has been so
widely and so firmly established that
1t behooves us, as street railway men,
to devote our efforts to securing Just
and equitable statutes and doing all
we can to have them intelligently and
administered We can
readily grant that the old common
law doctrines have resulted in eco
nomic waste; we cannot deny it, and
we can subscribe to the principle of
the compensation laws freely enough
without committing ourselves to the
necessity of accepting whatever kind
or character of statute may be forced
counter to ours.
Won't Take All Medicine,
II am not ready to yield to the
suggestion that the railway COM
panies should take whatever medi-
cine may be offered them, even
though 1t may come in doses that
are not prescribed by competent ply
sicians or contain ingredients which
obviously are hurtful to the patient.
In other words, / believe il is the
duty of railway arrangements to pro-
tect their stockholders to the extent
OF resisting Illegal demands, if the
same are Incorporated in compensa-
ton laws, by appealing to the regu-
larly constituted judicial authorities,
even though by SO doing something
may, some time, eventuate which will
cost the companies more money. I
do not believe we should sacrifice
principle for expediency.
realize the difficulty of attempt
ing to get workmen's compensation
law that will satisfy employees and
and meet the varying con-
ditions in different States. We have
been all through the preliminary
stages in our State. There we had a
commission which devoted about two
years time to study of the subject,
being helped by the views of employ
ers and employees, given at numerous
hearings held in different industrial
centres A bill was submitted to the
legislature of 1911 and more hearings
were held. Strong objections were en-
tered by manufacturers. but not by
us or other utility companies. Equally
strong, or even stronger, arguments
were presented for the measure by it's
advocates. The bill passed and was
signed by the governor. 1t is not just
such an act as our company would
like to have, perhaps, but 1t might be
worse. We accepted 1t and explained
its provisions to our $1,000 or more
employees, with the result that ninety
odd per cent. of them also readily ac-
cepted the elective feature of the law,
which automatically carries certain
stipulated payments for specific perl
DDS, according to the character and
gravity of the accident.
No Additional Burden.
Our experience has been that the
law has not added to
our financial burden, but this is due to
the fact that the company's policy of
caring for injured employees has al
ways been liberal. In many instances
we allow full pay for time lost, and in
all cases we make payments from the
date of disability, instead of after the
second week, as the statute provides.