Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-09-22
EMPLOYER HOLES
ADVANCED VIEWS
Eavors Remedial Laws That
Will Insure Square
Deal.

cidents and in all legislation to i'm
prove safety appliances and to provide
! improved conditions and compensa-
/ ton. in discussing initiative measure
| No. Q. 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 q
factory inspection law. designed to
enforce the installation Of safety equip
| ment 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 as 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 Warrington. but they
lent their assistance in drafting It and
securing It's 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 jNst as fully
aware Of this defect in the law. and
the fact that 1t is 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 il 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 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
pensa,ion. and in the light of the data
thus gathered and the practical knowl-
edge OF the members OF the committee
OF conditions affecting the employers.
the employees and the general public.
a law was carefully and pains,akingly
prepared This bill was presented 10
the legislature OF 1911 and. after full
consideration which suggested num-
Der Of amendments that all parties
agreed were desirable, was passed
With scarcely a dissenting voice.
1t was felt at that time that the
question OF first aid was so compli-
Gated that ii 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 first aid law in this state.
"Earues, study Of the frs, aid prob
lem has been conducted by the mem
hers Of the industrial commission and
the labor commissioner ever since the
enactment OF the compensation law
with the view TO drafting a compre-
hensive and adequate first aid pro
vision 10 that law. and the employers
OF the state have earnestly and con-
fiden,ly expected that fair and eouit-
able solution OF the entire problem
would be devised before long as q
result Of these Investigations.
Now We are confronted with ini-
tiarive measure No. 9. described as
first aid measure, and because Of its
/ unfair. arbitrary and radically harmful
provisions we are compelled 10 op-
pose its adoption Our opposition is
not directed against providing for frs,
aid. but against this particular bill
which was drafted by unknown. IN
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. II places no limit on the amount
Of assessment. that can be levied on
the industries FOR first aid purposes:
( j, compels ,he employer 20 pay out
.. his own pocket all first aid costs
Up 20 500 regardless OF fault. and
provides 10 limit on the amount that
may be drawn from the fund in the
class 10 which the employer belongs
in excess OF the first 500. While the
frs. aid compensation must be paid
by the employer up 20 800 and in
excess OF that amount CUT OF the fund
10 which the employer alone contrib
ugss. It permits the employer no voice
in The disposition o. these assess
msrts. The injustice Of such provis-
ions must appeal TO every fair minded
person, and feel sure that when the
Z people Of this state fully understand
the uiSchiayous malice with which
this bill was drafted they will indig-
uautly reject il az the polls on Nove-
Der 5rd."
{. Buck. manager az the sishc-hcr,r
rSx e4--fuaSr-r said IN IN address ~