The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-01-23

one hundred to two hundred dollars.
Of a list of eighteen states having
compensation laws in operation, but
three, including our own state, are
without first aid provision of some
kind.
"A first aid provision was agreed
to by the employing interests repre-
sented on the commission that draft
ed the bill, but was stricken from the
law as finally passed. This was done
apparently because of a practice of
requiring from employees a monthly
hospital dues ranging from so cents
to S1.25 month as insurance against
illness and accidents. Some doctors
and hospitals are able through this
arrangement to collect fat fees. One
case came under my observation
where a workman was compelled to
pay $3.50 in one month, he having
changed his place of employment dur
ing the month, and paying a hospital
fee in each place of employment.
Industrial Insurance Commissioner
Wallace says Our statistics show
that of the 10000 men under this act,
about 55 per cent are under the COM
pulsion of this deduction from wage
and personally putting up the medical
cost of treating accidents The other
As per cent of the employees are left in
a still more serious predicament when
injured, because they, as a rule, have
no protection whatsoever against hos
pital and medical charges in case of
accident. This years statistical COM
parsons of the cost of medical and
surgical treatment to the awards that
mo for. ton, t,1 Il
ability, show that from so to IS per
cent of the amount of the workman's
award is, under the present operation
of the law, paid by the workman for
his hospital and medical treatment.
Since the average award for each day
Of lost time amounts to about $1.35,
and the average cost of medical treat
ment is $110, it is evident that the
workman receives about rs cents in
addition to his average daily cost of
treatment
1T must not be forgotten, however,
that under the old system, As per cent
Of the workmen bore the entire cost,
medical, hospital wage loss and all.
The remaining 55 per cent carrying
some form Of accident and sick insur-
anCe, received no time loss compensa-
ton whatever, in many cases leaving
the hospitals prematurely because Of
an anxiety to resume earning, paid
for it in physical deterioration, and
ofttimes a second injury because of
insufficient care of the first injury
Any way you look at it the workman
is better off now than under the old
system, but that does not mean that
we are to rest content with the COM
pensatiOn act as it stands. Nor shall
we.
when the 1913 legislature conven-
ed employers again admitted that
first aid provision should be made.
But said they, be fair with us Fair.
There could be but one kind of fair
first aid bill enacted, and that one
placing the cost Of first aid upon the
industry, But labor is generally will
ing to be more than fair, to meet the
employer half way upon any PROPOSE
ton of merit. SO that there might
be no excuse upon the part of the en-
ployers, first aid amendment was
drawn up, dividing the cost of treat
ment equally between the employers
and employees. And again the employ
ers violated their agreement. They
defeated this measure.
The time for compromising with
employers upon that issue has passed.
Industry is notified by labor that it
expects and demands first aid pro
vision, the cost of which shall be
borne by industry and no part of it
borne by the employees. There are
other reasons why first aid should
be incorporated in the law Figures
will show that employers are now pay
| ing no more to the state for insurance
against accidents than they formerly
paid to the casualty companies and
with none of the former attendant
risks. 1t is no longer a gamble with
the employers. They pay stated per-
centage of their payrolls into the fund
and their responsibility ends. The
number of accidents happening would
seem to indicate that but little atten-
ton is being paid to the safeguarding
of machinery or the instruction of en-
ployes how to avoid accidents. 1t
must be made more costly to main
and kill workmen, if employers will
not take heedful precautions from
humanitarian reasons.
Employment Agencies.
THE evils arising from our system
of paid employment agencies have
long been a source of protest from the
working people of this state. Theo-
retically the employment agent acts
as a happy medium between the job
less man and the manless job. Actu-
! ally he does nothing of the kind.
While there are undoubtedly here and
| there conscientious men in the private
| employment office business, as a class
they are rapacious and INSCRIPTIONS
If the men in this state who have
been victimized by employment sharks
could tell their several tales to the
mass of voters, the brutality of the
system revealed would compel the
electorate to rise up and vote it out
of business. Ours is not the only state
in the union cursed by this parasitic
crowd. Secretary Wilson, of the de
partment of labor, told the American
Federation of Labor convention in Sc
attle that the OraCtice of emplOYment