Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-12-10


! The operations of the law of May
80, 1908, providing compensation for
accidents to certain employees OF the
federal government form the subject
of Bulletin No. 1855, just published by
the bureau Of labor statistics OF the
United States department of labor.
The report covers the period from
August 1, 1908 when the law went in
to effect, to June 30, 1913, or practical
ly the first five years OF its existence.
! This law was the general pioneer gem
eral accident compensation law in
this country but since its enactment
"a states have made provisions for
compensation in some form, all OF
them, however, on more liberal ba-
sis.
AS enacted, the law covered artisans
and .laborers in manufacturing es-
Establishments, arsena1s and navy yards,
river and harbor and fortiicatfon work
and hazardous employment in the re-
defamation service and under the Is
thmian Canal Commission. Later it"
was extended to include all Isthmian
canal employees and persons engaged
in hazardous work in the bureau of
mines, the lighthouse service, and the
forestry service. It is estimated that
SIS, 900 persons are covered by the pro
visions of the law, somewhat less
than one-fourth of the civilian en-
ployes Of the federal government. This
act is administered by the secretary of
labor except as it affects employees c
the dsthmian Canal commission, for
whom an act of March 4, 1911, provid
FED that the law should be administered
by the chairman of that commission.
The law allows compensation only
for accidents sustained in, the course
of employment without negligence or
misconduct, causing disability eyreed-
ing Is days or resulting in death.
Compensation is on the basis of full
wages, but payment is limited to one
year even in case of death and total
permanent disability.
The total number of claims filed dur
ing the first five years of the law was
| 14,963, Of which 14,O46 were allowed.
9tt disallowed and six were still under
consideration at the end of that peri
cd. OF the cases allowed, 437 were for
fatal accidents. The total compensa-
ton for all accidents during the five
years amounted to over $1,800,00O. OF
6,315 employees of the Isthmian Canal
| Commission.
In the fiscal year 1928 the average
compensation reported for 1920 non
| fatal and Sc fatal cases was $1O696
and $661.12, respectively. Of the non
| fatal cases, 996 were Isthmian Canal
Commission employees, who are large
ly unskilled and are exposed to great
No. Sc
of the departments, the two groups re-
ceiving an average of $93.64 and $112.-
66 respectively. OF the fatal cases, II
were Isthmian canal and 45 other en-
lployes. the compensation averaging
$410.77 and $722.31, respectively. The
failure to recognize permanent disabil
ilty on different basis from disabil.
fty, from which there isAcomplete re-
covery, results in very Inadequate com
pensation in many cases. Thus, frac-
ture of an arm or leg led to compensa.
ton payments Of less than $25, the
loss Of an eye between $25 and $50,
and in the case of a right arm the
injured workman received less than
$50, while in three cases Of the loss of
both legs, occurring during the third
year, the average compensation was
$377.40.
The small amounts of compensation
under this act, when compared with
compensation under the various state
workmen's compensation laws, are due
to the fact that under the federal law
Compensation laws limited to usual
wages must cease when the injured
employee is able to resume work, and
in any case cannot continue beyond IL
months Under the more recently en-
acted state laws compensation, usually
on the basis Of one-half orEtwo-thirds
the average wages, is paid in case Of
temporary disability during disability,
or in case of death or permanent dis
ability, for period extending to six
years, and in several states to eight
years.