Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-12-02
ALL OF THEM PRAISE
COMMISSIONS WORK
Letters from Employers and
Employees Pour in on Ac-
Cident Commission

"God bless you in this work. It is
great blessing to the helpless - and
"we certainly are glad to see the
change. which will insure equitable and |
/ speedy settlement of all just claims,
and wish you all possible success in
your continuation Of the good work al !
ready inaugurated. These are but
two of the many expressions of salts
faction and thanksgiving which the in
dustrial accident commission are re-
ceiving almost daily both from the
viewpoint of the injured employe who
has benefited under the operation of
the new compensation law, and the en-
| ployer, who has been protected from
the greed and graft of taking and
designing employe.
The first quotation is taken as an
excerpt from lettcr received by the
commission expressing the gratitude ofI
an old man, Go years cf age. of Port
land, who had his left hand half saw
Cd off by wood saw and has been
permanently partially disabled and rer-
dcred helpless to make living, and
who was granted pension Of $50
month for four months lost time, and
S25 per month for "a months on ac-
count of permanent partial disability
by the commission. His case was pass
ed upon yesterday by the commission.
A portion of his letter of gratitude for
the help rendered by the commission,
which has kept him out of the poor
house and saved him the indignity of
begging for I'm existence, is given here
with:
"'It has been four months since ]
was hurt and | have received a little
less than 81 per day, for which ] am
very thankful for if / had not got it,,
| do not know what | would have done,
the state would have to care for me.
| have lived in this city (Portland) for
25 years and this is the first cent L
ever got without work. / can't use
by hand because / can't shut it and
suffer great pain from it by niGrC and
day. 1t is very hard to live on the
sum we did 10 or 10 years ago, rent,
board. laundry, everything is high ]
try hard to be careful of all expenses.
l am 65 years old and it is hard for
mo to get anything to do that / could
do. If can get your help to live for
a few months more, / will try and
make it some way, but at the present
d time must have help or beg. ] want
is to do right, but can't help myself nov
l. God bless you in your work 1t is a
o great blessing to the helpless"
!. And here is an extract from letter
W IL, hut tba
y of all kinds of labor who was protect
:. ed by the commission from the greed OF
!, an employe Ga foreigner) who received
a a slight injury while in the employ Of
!, the company but tried to collect big
- damages by feigning serious injury and
~ total disability. The commission pass
~ ed upon the claim, allowing the employC
!, all that was due him under the circum
"a stances and seriousness Of the case ant
"a that the employer was perfectly salts
IN fled by the decision Of the commission
is reflected in his letter:
A. "We are very much pleased with tn,
in stand that you have taken in settle
n. ments of claims Of this kind, as II is I'M
IL dOubtedly a great improvement owe
Y. conditions that prevailed before tn,
i. enactment Of the Wolkmen 8 compensa
ID tion act.
in "lt has been brought to our atten
OF tion that employees in the past hay
to even gcne so far as to bet on th
amount of damages they would be abl
IL to collect from us, before suit was eve
III commenced. There is no doubt bu
in that number Of fraudulent claim
'g have been paid by employers in the pas
ct to worEmen making excessive and dis
u, honest claims, aided and abeted by dis
reputable lawyers. We are certainl
glad to see the change, which will in
sure equitable and speedy settlement o
all just claims, and wish you all po'
'e' sible success in your continuation o
an the good work already inaugurated." "