Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-27
CALLS COMPENSATION
ACTS 'CONFTSCATORY'
Continued from rage One


ment would only be given TO those certi-
fed TO be physically ht for their employ.
ment Under the action of the common
law, as at present applied, as well as
under the action Of n moderate and rea-
| eOnable compensation measure, the aver
age workman has little difficulty In secur-
ing employment when there Is work Offer
Ing. Now the employer can make large
additions to his force IN the security that
cases Of accident, no matter how result
| ing will be thoroughly investigated and
the resulting cost placed upon the party
responsible.
"T believe, nevertheless, that the prin-
| clple of making the cost OF the produce
tion to include compensation for the
necessary deaths, accidents and suffer-
| ing Incident to the work is correct and
should be enacted into law; but I do not
think that the penalties TO be inflicted
| upon the employer In case OF accidents
| should be so excessive and conflscatory.
INSURANCE AS RESORT.
This law will force even those employ
ers who are now most liberal in adjust
ing the claims of their employees into
State insurance, mutual insurance asso-
Citations or stock companies, and the in
jured will find themselves living upon
what Is doled out to them by these i'm
surnnce agencies; whilst those who are
unable to obtain work because of the
rigorous requirements of the law will
similarly find themselves dependent upon
charitable organizations.
The foregoing views are solely from
the standpoint of the employer. without
reference to his position as a citizen and
a taxpayer. The addition of Sl53,OOO or
Banization expenses, an annual salary
list OF $lll,0 and an estimated total ex-
pense Of administration of s3S5.OOO for the
first two years constitutes a serious add-
tional burden of taxation which must be
borne by the taxpayer. In the final
analysis such taxation bears most hardly
upon the working classes"
LABoR's CONTENTION.
On the other hand. the sociologists and
labor leaders contend generally that the
50O-week period of compensation is too
short, and that the so per cent. basis is
too low. They hold the compensation
should be based on 65 per cent
The consensus of opinion, apart from
these two principal objections, is that
the bill, If passed even in It's present
form, will be a long step forward in
remedial legislation for workingmen. The |
attitude of the workingman, who is most /
deeply interested in the act, is that |
1t will provide him with protection that ,
will be certain, as against the present I
method of appeal to the courts often
final returns.
a special meeting OF the Central Labor
Union to discuss the bills will be held
tomorrow afternoon. The result will be
sent to Governor Brumbaugh and At
torney General Francis Skunk Brown in
the form of recommendations.
Most of those who made comment on
the act today kept in mind the state
ment of the Attorney General that the
present drafts are but tentative, and that
when final drafts are made, perhaps some
time in the latter part of next week. sug-
gestions from all interested will be con-
sidered.
Aside from the fundamental defect that
the compensation is based on so per cent.
instead of two-thirds of the salary basis,
and on the wage system, the Governors
plan in general Is very good, in the opin-
on of Miss Florence L. Sanville, until re-
,ently secretary of the Consumers
retained by prominent national maga-
Zine to write q series of articles on Penn
'ylvsnia legislation.
I'VE are all right on the minimum of
% which Is based on the so per cent
basis" Miss Sanvlle said. "The total
disability for widows should be made
'or life. Compensation for only 500 weeks
would open the doors to very serious
The death compensation to |
children should continue until they are
s years old and not l6. while the $3.50
week for a dependent brother or sister
s practically nothing Unless a COM
,ensation does some good, il is not worth |
with at all. Nor does $l2 for
widow with four children amount to a ,
reat deal ,
"The whole idea of basing compensa-
ion on wages is not fair" she said, for
family with a small income has less
esources to fall back on when 1t is cut I
a 20.
lcome 1t does not seem fair to me not !
D compensate the family of a Pennsyl- t
anian who is doing work for Penn /
ylvania firm in another State This
hange should be made. Governor Brum-
augh should be congratulated on urging t
he appointment Of compensation board '
Rther than to leave the Jurisdiction to +,
ne courts Although not ideal. the plan
extensive and big improvement"
OTHER VIEWS EXPRESSED
Views of other persons on the Brum-
augh compensation plan follow:
larry L. FLYNN, president of the o
Amalgamated Street and Electric Rail- u
way Employees OF America. Division All,
with about 200 members in Phlladel-
pnla, and more than 1900 in PennsyI- Il
vania-I feel satisfied that the program b
on compensation as outlined by Gov
ernor Brumbaugh will meet with the I !,
l n
ly. l have no fault to find with II. !"
OSEPH Il. COHEN. member of the h
Legislation Committee of TypoGraphi- h
cal Union No. 2.-The compensation as O.
outlined by Governor Brambaugh e
believe Is very low and should be In 6
creased. The State insurance idea is Il
the most commendable feature OF the "
bill, because this measure really paves Il
the way for many important bills Il
which. II passed, will help to change
certain existing social conditions. g
believe the widow and children of o
man who dies OF tuberculosis as a re- Ell
suit of working In an lnsanitary shop Il
should be compensated by his employ a
srs. Many deaths from consumption a
occur yearly In this city among men
at different trades The fami- Il
lies OF these men often are left in a
destitute circumstances. Sometimes q
wives and children are left pennllsss. d
There is no reason at all why orphaned p
children shouldn't receive some hnan- n
,ial assistance from employers In whose p
nsanitary shops their fathers worked.
NJ. RICHIE. president Building Trades a
'ouncil of Philadelphia and Nicinity-I u
am In favor OF giving the family OF a a
nan injured 66 per cent. Of his wages n
)ur organization has been at work for
iome time preparing statistics on the
plan, which now Is In the
II.