Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-09-18
EMPLOYER HOLES
ADVANCED VIEWS
Eavcrs Remedial Laws That
Will Insure Square
Deal.

/
the serious problem of industrial ac-
cidents and in all legislation to i'm
prove safety appliances and to provide
improved conditions and compensa-
| ton, in discussing initiative measure
No. 8. known as the first aid bill, said:
THE employers of Washington have
taken advanced ground in dealing with
this entire subject of accident proven
ton and compensation. No one de-
sires more earnestly than the employ
ers of Washington to insure employees
against industrial risks, to minimize
the dangers to which the employee
may be exposed, or to provide ade-
quate and prompt compensation when
injuries occur. The legislation now
on the statute books of this state fully
substantiates this claim. We have a
factory inspection law, designed to
enforce the installation Of safety equip
nent and to provide for inspection of
such equipment. We have many COM
mendable laws respecting the payment
of wages and conditions of service
designed to protect the interests of
the employees. In addition to this.
we have compulsory compensation
act that stands az one Of the most
advanced pieces of legislation Of the
kind in this country. This compensa-
ton act was not only accepted by the
employers Of Washington, but they
lent their assistance in drafting it and
securing its passage.
THE chief fault that can be and is
found with the present compensation
act is its failure to provide for first
aid The employers are just as fully
aware Of this defect in the law, and
the fact that it is a defect, as any
other body of our citizens, and they
are just as anxious to have that defect
remedied. The only reason on earth
that it has not been remedied hereto.
fore is because no properly devised
solution Of the problems involved in
the difficult question of first aid has
been offered.
"The present compensation law was
drafted by a committee composed Of
representative employers, employees
and legal students. For months
careful study was made Of the expert
ence of other countries and other
states in dealing with industrial com.
pensation, and in the light Of the data
thus gathered and the practical knowl.
Of conditions affecting the employers.
the employees and the general public.
law was carefully and painstakingly
prepared. This bill was presented to
the legislature of 1911 and. after full
consideration which suggested a mum.
Der Of amendments that all parties
agreed were desirable. was passed
with scarcely q dissenting voice.
1T was felt at that time that the
question of first aid was SO compli.
Gated that 1t would be wiser to defer
action on that feature Of the law un-
til after experience enough was gain.
ed through the administration Of the
compensation act and time had to in.
vestigate thoroughly the best practice
in other countries and other states to
provide proper data from which to
draw practicable and feasible conclu.
sions for a first aid law in this state.
Earnest study of the first aid prob
lem has been conducted by the mem
bers Of the industrial commission and
the labor commissioner ever since the
enactment Of the compensation law
with the view to drafting q compre-
hensive and adequate first aid pro-
vision to that law, and the employers
of the state have earnestly and con.
fidently expected that a fair and equit-
able, solution OF the entire problem
would be devised before long as a
result of these investigations.
Now we are confronted with I'M.
tiative measure No. 8. described as a
first aid measure, and because Of its
unfair, arbitrary and radically harmful
provisions we are compelled to op-
pose its adoption. Our opposition is
not directed against providing for first
aid, but against this particular bill
which was drafted by unknown. un.
representative and irresponsible per.
sons, whose pronounced prejudice
against the employer and his just in
terests is Enthusiastically written into
every provision OF the bill.
Every principle Of the square deal
is violated by initiative measure No.
9. 1t places no limit on the amount
of assessment that can be levied on
the industries for first aid purposes;
it compels the employer to pay out
Of his own pocket all first aid costs
up to 500 regardless Of fault, and
provides no limit on the amount that
may be drawn from the fund in the
class to which the employer belongs
in excess Of the first 500. While the
first aid compensation must be paid
by the employer up to 500 and in
excess of that amount out of the fund
to which the employer alone contrib
utes, it permits the employer no voice
in the disposition of these assess
ments. The injustice of such provis-
ions must appeal to every fair minded
person, and feel sure that when the
people of this state fully understand
the mischievous malice with which
this bill was drafted they will indig
nantly reject it at the polls on Novem-
Der 3rd."
c. Buck, manager of the eight-hour
law campaign, said in an address at
Seattle: After we have succeeded
in securing the universal eight-hour
day, we intend to get a further reduc-
ton to six hours, and from that time
it is but a step until we take over the
industries ourselves"