The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-03-27
An Open Letter.
'elloW Workman:

Dear Fellow Workman:
I can readily understand why your
long disability has left you in such
Strengthened circumstances. Indus
trial accident is one of the many cat
astrophes that may overtake any work
man. And when a man is laid up by
accident all his earnings vanish like
magic There are the grocery bills to
pay and clothes to buy for the kid
,. dies Then comes the landlord de-
manding the monthly rent. But worst
of all doctors bills must be paid, and
all doctors know how to charge
whether they know how to practice
medicine or not.
| have no doubt that you will be dis
satisfied with the awards that you are
able to get from the Industrial Insur-
ance commission. Of course you are
already aware that the Washington
compensation law does not give you
free hospital and medical treatment as
other state laws do. Workmen's COM
pensation is supposed to be adequate
to maintain the victims of accident
in comparative comfort while they are
disabled. But the commissions second
annual report says that two-thirds of
the burden of accident still falls on the
/ injured workman while the employer
pays only one-third. So the workman
must accept the dangers to which he
is subjected by his employers busi-
ness, and then stand nearly all of the
financial expense plus all the misery
that accompanies injury.
cannot help but shudder at the
ghastly array of broken bones, of
bruises, sprains and amputations that
occur daily in this young common
wealth of ours More than a thousand
! injuries are reported every month Of
the year, and God only knows what
deal of misery they leave behind What
a pity it is that you workmen have to
take so many of the hard knocks and
then find that the masters of industry
will not afford you more than a crust
of bread when injury overtakes you
You want to know why the state in
dustrial insurance law does not pro
vide you with hospital and medical
treatment. That is what is called first
aid. The Washington law in its or
iginal form provided for first aid to
all injured workmen. But the lumber
barOns had it stricken in the legisla-
ture. You see justice to injured work
men costs money, and who would sac
rifice cold hard cash for more justice?
Besides there is a big graft in the
present hospital fee system that would
probably disappear if the state had
charge of the hospital treatment of
men who are hurt
Workingmen and progressives OF all
political beliefs have been trying to
get first aid clause enacted ever
since 1911 when the law went into
effect. Governor Hay and his COM
mission favored the enactment of
first aid clause, but Hay lost out IN
the last election. Governor Lister
who succeeded him, is opposed to FIRST
aid and so are the commissioners
whom he has appointed Chairman
| Daggett of the commission, has re-
Gently made this very clear in his re-
plv to my charges through the press
Let me quote from his reply on behalf
of Commissioner Ernest and himself:
again. ! do not believe that we
have the right as commissioners, act
ing as trustees for the accident fund
created from contributions by the EN-
plovers to so administer the law that
the burdens upon the contributor Will
be more than the accepted interpre-
tation of the law would warrant
Mark this very carefully, Commits
sioner Daggett feels his responsibility
IN the EMPLOYERS very keenly. He says
that he is a trustee of the accident
fund But he fails to say that he Is
also trustee of the security and nap
ptness of thousands of men, who, like
vourself. become the victims of accl-
dent Mr. Dagget is not greatly con
cerned if he finds that twenty-five per
, cent of all the men who get hurt re-
i ceive less in awards than they pay out
, in doctor bills, and have nothing to
, live on after the doctor bills are paid.
r But let some one suggest that the en-
= ployer should carry larger portion OF
the burden: Mr. Daggett will immedi'