Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-19
MUCH IGNORANCE VET k
 REGARDING coMPENsATloN
Dr. J. ]. Oonohue Describes Conditions
 in Second DisSrict.

in Second District.
 "In spite of the bulletins which have been issued by the compensation com misSioners. their many lectures upon compensation and the continuous com ment of the state press, there has been a noticeable lack of knowledge regarding the law. especially among the smaller employers. and the em- ployeS, also. seem as d rule ignorant of their rights before the law, says Dr. J. J. Donohue, commissioner for the Second district in statement he makes in the Hartford Courant regard ing the operation of the law
 During the last few weeks of the first two months of the laws opera ton, however, the reports have been coming in much more promptly, show ing that familiarity with the law is simply a matter of time and of con tact with it's operations. There have been filed in this office some 1860 re- fusals to accept the act. practically all of them being employers of less than five. I might state in this con nection that there is now a case in court, or about to be brought into court, in which an employer Of less than five failed to fl-e his refusal to accept the act and subsequently one of his employees was injured. When the courts rule upon this case, if it is not settled out of court. it will de- eide a question upon which there has Deen
 One Important Point.
 In connection with this statement of Commissioner Denohue. it can be said that the matter of the refusal of employers of less. than five to accept the act is one upon which the future of the act in this state rests very largely. When passed by the 1913 session of the general assembly, the idea among the farmer members of N-,- it's votes on various questions, had the idea that employers of less than five were exempted from the act by its
 terms and needed to take no notice of it's provisions. Because of the word
 ing of the act however it was dis
 covered that all employers of labor
 were included, unless they filed notice
 of their refusal to accept the provi
 sions of the law. The question imme- diately arose, whether or not the small employer forfeited his common law
 defenses if he failed to notify the com missioner that he refused to accept. ! The compensation commissioners hold
 that he would forfeit defenses of as- sumption of risk, fellow servants neg
 ligence and contributory negligence, but many attorneys are of a very diff ferent opinion. If 1t is decided by the court that the small employer does not forfeit his common law defenses, , the next session of the general assem- Dly VIII pTODdOly IlOL IlOOlLS llle ltIN in this respect. If however, the courts decide that the defenses are forfeited 1t seems probable that the farmer mem bers of the house will put up a big fight for the modification of the act, which may end in it's repeal. Only One Death Claim. There has been received in this dis trict, only one claim for cOmpenSa- tion for an injury resulting in death" |" ! icc DnTnh1rA n agreement is now pending in this case some question having been risked as | to the meaning of the expression l measure of depen6ence.'
 Another interesting case which is also up for consideration and one in ! which a claim has been made against ! the county. is that of a deputy sheriff who met death through accident. | There have been 2S6 accidents re- ] ported during the past two months, on which 25 claims have been made and | settlements reached. Besides this there | are a number of agreements pending. Agreements on File. 1 The latest agreements placed on file | with the clerk of the superior court for | New London county are the following ' Kramer & Henderson, employer, with { Frank Lavidono, employe. Fracture ! of right leg on Feb. 23. Employe re- 1 ceives $6 per week beginning March i IT. and as long as total incapacitated ! from worh.
 l T. A. Scott Co, Inc, employer. ana ] Charles L. Clark of West Mystic, em- l ploye; injured Feb. at yard of em- 1 bruised; S7.50 weekly commencing Feb i IS, and continuing during disability. ! T. A. Scott Co. Inc. employer, and
 Arthur Kannenberg of Connecticut
 avenue, New London. enploye; injured
 Jan. 20; first finger of left hand cut
 off at second joint: S9 weekly com mencing Feb. 4. and continuing during period of disability. This amount to | continue 19 weeks on account of loss | of first finger of left hand at second | joint.
 The J. W. Lapointe Co.,, employer, | and John Avillar of New London, em- 1 ploye; injured Jan. 30; chip flew in left | eye: $5 weekly during disability. and Gilbert Edwards, 37 Washington { street, empIoye; injured an. 30; in ! jured about his chest and legs bruised;
 $6 weekly.
 1 Palmer Bros Co, employer and l Julia M. Foley, Fitchville, employe; in ] jured Feb. '; severed artery on left
 wrist: S weekly.
 Evelyn MacCurdy, Salisbury. em- i ployer, J. Ross Strzyzewski. Lyme. em- | ploye; injured Jan. g; left leg bruised 1 by falling log: s5 weekly.
 ] Evelyn MacCurdy. Salisbury, em- ! pIoyer, Victor L. Beebe, Lyme, em- ] pIOye: injured Jan. 14; fragments of l right knee broken and partial paralysis of Iep- S6 weekly.
 | The AspinoOk Co, employer; Nico- ! las Parde, Jewett City, employe; in- | jured Feb. 16: forefinger of right hand l crushed S5 weekly.
 In January and February. The summary of the administration ! for the five districts from Jan. 1 to March 1 is found in the following ta- , ble: