The citizen., 1914-11-06
STATE INDUSTRIAL ACCI-
DENT COMMISSION

only have nearly 5000 employers filed
statements OF the methods they have
adopted to comply with the law, every
one Of which must be passed upon by
the commission and approved or dis
approved but it has been deluged
with inquiries concerning the scope
and meaning of the new workmen's
compensation law.
Literally hundreds of questions have
arisen. For example, one is whether
a watchman in a manufacturing con-
cern, who must simply walk through
room where there is boiler, engine
or other running machinery, comes
within the intent OF the law; or a
watchman at mine who must at
times go into the mine although he
does no work there; or the office force
of manufactory where the office is
in the same building and near the
engines, boilers or power plant
Men Get Benefit OF Doubt.
The commission has not made any
definite rules on questions like these,
because the conditions as concern
danger are so very different in differ
ent places that most cases of the kind
will have to be decided according to
these conditions. In general it, may
be said that any employe whose du
ties take him where there is danger
of accident from explosion or being
caught in machinery is entitled to the
benefit of the act, although he may
rot himself be working with or in the
machinery.
Many employers think that too
great burden has been placed upon
rhem. and that the expense of COM
pensation should, in small part at
least, be borne by the workmen. The
law, however, specifically provides
that such shall not be the case. 1t
declares any agreement between en-
ployer and employe by which the lat
ler is to nay any part Of the premium
of insurance shall be void, and that
any attempt by All employer to deduct
any part of the premium from the
wages of workmen shall be punished
by fine OF not more than 5000.
Chairman Hanna was asked the
other day if the commission could pre-
vent an employer from discharging all
his employees and hiring them again at
lower wages, and replied that it could
not prevent that.
Large Concerns Carry Own Risks.
Almost if not all the great employ
ers of labor will carry their own risks.
These will include the big railroad
companies, the United Railways, the
Gas and Electric Company, the great
coal mining companies and the like.
Such concerns are, of course, tinan-
cially responsible and the cost of in
surance for them would be so large
that they prefer to take risk of hay-
ing to pay compensations. Many 9th
er concerns would be financially re
sponsible for any accident, except
some very great and fatal one, and
these also could assume their owl
risks provided they could get insur
ance against catastrophe.
Catastrophe insurance has been
good deal discussed, but so far no
steps have been taken to provide or
secure such an arrangement. 1t seems
probable that the next Legislature
may be asked to amend the act so
that the State fund can write catastro-
phe insurance Under present restric-
tions the State fund has no such au-
thority and it would be very uncer-
tain and insecure insurance if it could
be written.
City viii Garry Own Risks.
The city of Baltimore, large num-
ber of whose employers come under
the provisions of the act, has already
announced that it will carry its own
risks. So also has Frederick county
and others. The State Roads Com
mission has not yet taken any steps
in the matter, but it is expected that
it also will carry its own risks. Most
of the road work is done by contract.
and in such cases the contractor and
not the commission VIII be response
BILE for injuries to workmen, but the
commission does little work direct
ly and is responsible to its direct en-
| ployes.
One of the by-products of the com
pensation law is very likely to be a
boost of the safety first" idea. So
great has become the human wreck
| age in the transportation and indus
tries of the country that the safety
I first policy has been adopted by MANY
large employers. But safety devices
are expensive, the likelihood OF hav-
ing to pay money to injured uncer-
tain, and many have trusted to luci
that their workmen would escape ac'
cidents
But when an employer knows thai
he must pay compensation to every
IL .IEW