Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-03-05
NEW LAW EXPLAINED
LIGHT is THROWN ON THE IOWA
LIABILITY MEASURE BY
SEVERAL EXPERTS.
EX-GOVERNOR GARST SPEAKS
Questions Invited and intricate Points
in the Law Made Plain Which the
Manufacturers Have Construed In
Many Different Ways.

Des Moines.-Many OF the intrica-
cies Of the Iowa workingmen's COM
pensation act were explained by War
rem Garst. state industrial commits
sioner, and Robert L. Dutton, western
manager Of the Fidelity and Casual
ty Insurance company OF st. Louis,
at banquet OF the manufacturers
committee OF the Chamber of Com
merce held in this city.
The farreaching effect Of the law
as embodied in the provision that the
employer shall be liable for all per
sonal injuries" rather than all "acci-
dental injuries" was the chief point
discussed. This means, according to
Mr.. Dutton and Mr.. Garst, that under
the law the employer must give his
employee compensation for every in
jury received while In his employ
whether 1t was accidental or not, ex-
cept in cases where the employee was
either intoxicated or willfu!ly caused
himself to be injured.
'For example, said Mr.. Dutton, "if
an employer sends one OF his men
out in a skin to fix dock on the riv-
er. and the employee selects a skiff
which happens to leak and contracts
rheumatism as the result OF standing
in water while working, believe the
employer would be required to pay for
the injury. In fact, it was so ruled
in Massachusetts, where there is an
act almost identical with the Iowa
law.
"The same thing would pc true II
the workman contracted pneumonia,
or II he happened to be struck by
lightning or suffered from any other
so-called acts OF God, while working
for his employer"
Mr., Garst. who was the first speak
er, gave general outline OF the
meaning Of the act Farm lahorers,
domestic servants, those engaged In
clerical work and casual pursuits do
not come under the act" he said. "A
person in casual employment Is one
who does not contribute to his EN-
ployer's profit, as, fo- example, the
man you may hire to carry away your
ashes or shovel your sidewalk Those
in clerical work do come under the
law II they are subject to the hazards
OF the business, however. For instance
II an employer sends his boolskeeper
into his foundry to deliver pay envel-
opes to the men and he is injured.
the employer would be liable"
He declared that II is not the en-
ployer who really foots the bill for the
compensation of the injured workmen.
ut Is the purpose of the law that
society shall furnish the money to pay
for the injury" he continued. 1.-THE
act requires every employer TO buy
liability insurance. and the cost OF this
Insurance would merely be added to
the price OF the product manufactur-
ed, so that the pnblic would really pay
the compensation indirectly"
Mr.. Dutton called attention to the
fact that the law provided for the
payment of fixed sums for each type
Of injury
"The law fixes the amount to be
paid to the family OF workman who
has been killed at $4,000. 1t Is GER
tainly much better to go to the widow
and give her the $4,000 than to go in
to the courts and argue and pay law
yers fees for long time to deter
mine whether it shall be $4,000, $780,
600 or $4,000"