Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-18
COMPENSATION To
BE VERY COSTLY
But Results Will Be Good For Peo-
pie of State, Believe Mem
bers of Commission

Warnings that Pennsylvania should
avoid the difficulties of West Virginia
in providing for the insurance features
Hof it's proposed workmen's compen-
sation act and that the cost to the IN
dustries of the Keystone State Would
be about 100000 per year ana
assurance of support from organized
labor characterized the final hearing
of the Industrial Accidents Commission
on the proposed compensation law
here last night. The commission VIII
send its bill to the next Legislature
early and ask its enactment. The Dill
from Western Pennsylvania coal op-
orators, which it was expected would
appear at the session, did not show up,
although Harry s. Lydick, OF Puts
burgh. intimated that there would be
one which would exempt farmers and
domestic servants from the operation
of the act This feature, members or
| the commission contended, Woulu lndhe
/ it unconstitutional
William II. Hotchkiss, former insur-
ance commissioner of New York, de-
| clared that the West Virginia compen-
| sation act had been reported as neither
compensat nor insurance and that
| at the end of June last its funds were
SS45, 900 too small to meet the claims.
There were 246 fatal cases, of which
| S2 were in one mine disaster. The liza
! bilities he gave as $669,000. with but
1924 600 to meet them. The reason
was that no more than ! per cent. OF
the payroll could be collected toward
condensation and that after that the
employer was absolved. He called the
West Virginia law a horrible eX-
ample"
Cost Runs High
c. S. Bunting, a Philadelphia insur-
! Il hot
81 0, 900, 900 year to pay claims ana
administer compensation in this State,
basing this estimate on experience IN
New York and the differences between
New York and Pennnsllvania acts. me
100000 tax which the Insurance Oe-
partment would collect on the business
of insuring he said. should go into
special reserve fund, as the State did
not want to make any money out OF a
compensation act.
Francis Rawle and ]. w. Henderson,
of Philadelphia, solicitors for the royal
Italian consulate, reviewed the pater-
nalistic care of their people by the
italian government and the Austrian
empire and suggested that consular
| officers look after distribution of funds
due dependents OF aliens, the employ
ers giving notice of death.
Some Suggestions
Bradley Newell, of the Midvale steel
works, urged physical examination and
that there be a definite termination of
payments. while It. j. Gillespie, Lock
hart Iron and Steel Company, Pitts
burgh. said that there should be
| clearer statements about neglect and
those who happen to use intoXicants.
E. s. TAFT, Bradford, representing
the Allegheny Valley Mining, Shaw
NUT Mining and other western COM
panies, held that the employer should
have the right at any time to have
payments commuted and an employe
only when there is danger of losing.
He suggested that the act not apply
to alien dependents and nonresidents.
| but the commission disagreed with
him. He also suggested that conflict
of testimony about negligence should
be left to the courts to determine and
not a jury.
Van Bitner. representing Pittsburgh
miners. said the soft coal miners were
ready to get together on an act with
the operators. He said that in 1913
there were 561 fatal inside accidents
and so fatal outside at soft coal mines,
leaving 347 widows and S03 orphans.
The soft coal miners numbered
189,909.
Maurer's Ideas
James II. Maurer. president of the
State Federation of Labor, when asked
what he thought about farmers and
servants being included, said that none
had asked to be included and that the
federation had done nothing. He
thought that those who wanted any,
thing should get up and get after it,
except children.
j. B. Colahan. one of the commits
sioners. remarked that the commission
had treated them as children and put
them in.
Mr. Maurer said that he opposed
medical examination and wanted the
intoxicants provision well established,
saving no well-conducted plant now
tolerates liquor. THE movem ent
toward accident prevention in Penn