The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-12-08
THE FEDERAL WORKMEN 5
COMPENSATION LAW

In bulletin recently published by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics Of the
Federal Department Of Labor, statis-
tics are presented Of the operation OF
what is declared to be the pioneer
general accident compensation law in
the United States. This IL the act
Of Congress Of May 81, 1908. which
provided compensation for accidents
to certain employees Of the federal
government. As originally enacted,
the law covered artisans and laborers
in manufacturing establishments, ar
senals and navy yards, river and
harbor and fertilization work and
hazardous employment in the Recla-
nation Service and under the lsthmi
an Canal Commission. The provi-
sions of the act were subsequently
extended SO as to include all the
employees of the Isthmian Canal
/ Commission and persons engaged In
hazardous work in the Bureau OF
Mines and the Lighthouse and For
estry services. The act is admins
tered by the Secretary Of Labor, ex-
cept In SO far as it affects employees
Of the Isthmian Canal Commission;
as regards these, the chairman Of the
commission administers the law I'M
der an act passed on March 4, 1911.
Compensation is allowed under the
law only for accidents sustained in
the course of employment, without
negligence or misconduct, and caus
ing a disability exceeding fifteen days
or resulting in death.
In all, about $4,000 persons are I'M
der the provisions Of the law which
therefore affects somewhat less than
one fourth OF the civilian employees
of the federal government. The re-
port Of operations covers the period
from August 1, 1908, when the act
went into effect, to June 30, 1918 or
five years with the exception Of one
month. 1t appears that the total
number of claims filed during the
period numbered 14,963. or these,
14,O46 were allowed, oil were dis
allowed and six we're still under con-
sideration at the end of the five
year period. OF the claims allowed,
437 were for fatal accidents. The
total compensation paid for all acct
dents during the period amounted to
over $1,S00,000 of which over $751;
600 was paid to 6.315 employees OF
the Isthmian Canal Commission. In
the last year covered by the report,
namely, the fiscal year 1928, COM
pensation was reported for fifty-six
fatal cases, at an average amount OF
s6e1. 10. There we're 1920 non IA
tai cases, for which an average COM
pensation of $106.96 was reported.
OF the latter class Of cases 800 were
those Of Isthmian Canal employees
who received an average compensa
ton of 1893 GA each. These persons
were largely unskilled and were ex-
posed to great hazards. The other
branches of the government we're
represented by 1924 employees 10
whom an average payment of $ll2'oo
was made. OF the fatal cases eleven
concerned Isthmian Canal employees
wbose representatives received an aV-
erage compensation OF $4io' " :.
There were forty-Hve employees Oh
other departments for whose deaths
an average of s722.3i was paid.
Regarding the working out Of this
law in practice, the bulletin suggests
that the failure to recognize perma-
nent partial disability on different
basis from disability from which
there is complete recovery results In
very inadequate compensation In
many cases. For example, fractures
n, an arm or leg have led to com
pensation payments Of less than "
and the loss OF an eye to payments
OF between s25 and $50. In one case
OF tie loss of rhight arm the injured
workman received less than $50 while
in three cases of the loss OF both
legs, occurring during the third year
the average compensation was only
1917. 40. 1t is pointed out in the bull
letin that the amounts of compensa-
ton are small under the federal act
as compared with those under the
workmen's compensation laws of the
various states. This result is attrib-
uted to the fact that under the fed
eral law compensation payments lin
tied to usual wages must cease where
the injured employee is able to re
sumo work, and cannot in any case
continue beyond twelve months,
while under the more recently enact
ed state laws COMPENSATION, usually