The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-11-27

Some days ago press dispatches
brought the announcement that Cover
nor Lister had named a commission
of nine, including the three members
of the Industrial insurance commits
sion, to draft a "First Aid" amend
ment to the compensation act to be
those asked to serve were E. P.
| Marsh, president of the Washington
State Federation of Labor, and Martin
| Flyzik district president United Mine
Workers. These two men have sent
a joint letter of declination to the gov
ernor and have given the following
statement to the press
1--WE have been asked by Governor
Lister to act upon commission ap-
pointed by him to draft a First Aid"
amendment to the compensation act
and have respectfully declined. The
public is entitled to know our reasons
and we beg the indulgence of your col
umns for brief statement.
"The commission appointed by Gov
ernor Hay to draft compensation act
included in the original bill "first
aid" clause. The representatives of
labor upon that commission were then
of the opinion that industry should
bear the cost of accidents" in the mat
ter Of first aid" as we'll as in the
main provisions of the act. A COM
promise was reached, however, pro-
viding for pro rata of cost between
employers and employees, for the rea-
son that the commission could not
agree with the views held by Labor,
an dnot to have made that concession
would have resulted in no first aid"
clause being drawn at that time. Both
sides agreed to support the compensa-
ton bill as drawn by the commission
in its entirety. The legislature of 1911
in which the lumber interests We're
bill the first aid" provision in viola
ton of good faith. Two years later
we introduced the same bill again, and
again it was pigeon-holed through the
influence of lumber interests Mean
time twenty-five states followed the
example of Washington in active
compensation laws. Nearly all of
them contained first aid" provisions
In no instance has any part of first
aid been thrown upon the injured
workman. In line with the establish
ed principle named above, Labor draft
ed a First Aid" Initiative Measure.
1t was presented at the annual con-
vention of the Washington State Fed
Grafton of Labor last January and ap-
proved without dissenting voice or
vote. 1t was placed upon the ballot
and known as Initiative Measure No.
8. It's fundamental principle, to which
Labor stood committed, was that "in-
uustry should bear the burden of its
accidents" Certain employers of the
state went on record as opposed to
this measure. They We're publicly
challenged to debate the provisions of
the bill. They ignored this challenge.
| Governor Lister saw fit to declare the
bill loosely drawn and inadequate
and publicly stated if the voters de-
feated the measure he would name a
commission, representative of both
employers and employees, to draft a
suitable First Aid bill. In an open
letter he was respectfully asked to
point out specifically wherein No. 9
was at fault. The governor made no
reply to that request, either publicly
or privately If No. has been de-
feated it has been by close margin,
and the expressed antagonism of Gov.
ernor Lister previous TO the election
bore no small part in that defeat.
Labor believes that the commission
should consist of employees and EN-
ployers in equal number and believes
that the industrial insurance commits
sion should be asked to act in an ad
visory capacity and not as active
members of this especially appointed
commission.