The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-13
TO HOLD EMPLOYER
LIABLE FOR INJURY
Workman's Compensation Bill
Prepared by Commissioner
of Insurance.
WOULD ABOLISH LITIGATION
Employe to Receive Guaranteed
Financial Return for Injuries
Received While at Work.

y workman's compensation law, de-
signed TO guarantee a laborer none
tary return for Injury received while
In performances Of his duty. has been
drawn by Joseph Button, State Com
missioner of Insurance. and will be
introduced in the coming session of the
General Assembly. II Is one step be-
You'd the employers liah:lity law, and
is modelled after the Michigan work
proposes to abolish. on the part OF the
employer, tho common law defense OF
contrlbutory negligence. assumption of
risk and Injury by n fellow servant,
and in their place to establish IN alb,
solute liability In nll cases except
where the injury. results from the Will
Tho measure provides that no com
pensation shall be paid unless the
Workman n, Is ineapacitated for two
after injury the employer must fur
nish medical aid and medicines During
the period of physical disability re-
weekly compensation of not less than
"a and not more than s10 the amount
TO be governed by the extent of the
injury In no case. however. is the
compensation to be paid for more than
J Joo ~ weeks ,sa Should the injury cause
for 200 weeks to the dependents OF the
workman.
No Cost to Administer.
Inc amount OF compensation to be
scale of fees and the strict application
OF the law is left in the hands of an
industrial accident board. This board
OF insurance. the Commissioner Of
Labor and tho Secretary of the Com
monwealth The feature of the pro-
posed OIL is the economy of adminis-
trittion According to the statement
given out yesterday by Colonel Button.
ai shr oce ef the vrri nov oscupyng
to serve upon the board without nav.
The cost to the, state for administer
ing the law will be almost nothing
. IN cases OF injury, where there is
dispute In regard TO the compensation
to be paid. the board has the authority
20 supervise the arbitration of the
bitcrs can be reviewed by the State
Supreme Court. The bill covers nine :
Teen typewritten pages. and is de-
has arisen under the administrator
OF the law in Michigan and other
To Reduce Chance of Injury.
IN 6Mpianation OF his measure. Col
The idea OF 'workmens compensa-
ton originated in the failure OF tha
employers, liability laws to give ade-
a right of recovery only where tHeS
can show some fault or negligence or,
the the pa, part Of The etnpioyer,, and they
in order for the right to be finally real
,Zed. II is a fact. however. that n very
large per cent of the accidents which
o osfa AZ, workmen while in the course
to the fault OF any one, but are simply
aue 10 the inherent risks of the indus
Try: the result of this. and OF the
tnct that many workmen are injured
through their own negligence, is that
only ONLY one ont OF every eight workmen
VINO are injured get any Compensation
tnerefor. and then they get only 80
per cent of the amount that should be
Inn haI
S Tess ,r by court costs and attorneys
compensation laws is to remedy such
conditions as these by guaranteeing
compensation to workmen in ali cases
c OF injury nf Without regard to fault eek
cept, OF course. where the injury Is due
TO the wiiful negligence Of the en-
pIoEe2. and to provide some method OF
procedure whereby the worl<mcn can
get IT., this coTnpensation without going
20 the trouble and expense OF institut-
Ing Il court action. The laws are based
upon inc conception that workmen are
SIMPLY part OF the machinery Of in
dustry, and, as such, entitled to be
cared for and kept In order Just like
otncr machinery. and to have the cx-
pcise or such care charged up TO the
general cost of tho indlstry"