Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-21

liih' otate' salu' lhere mas been no great faps
found with that act, except that II dIa Z
go far enough in It's provisions toward ~
ing 1t compulsory for employers to toin a.
hence was not as universally taken asy,.
tage of as 1t would have been IL the aav.,
tages of compensation had been more MIDI,
understood by employers and empoye,
Ohio passed compulsory act in 1913
Employers In those States having cos.
pensation are not seeking to have tha a..
utes repealed. AS the National Civic Fsd,s.
ton reports, experience under the acts n.
mostly removed the objections which The an.
ployers urged previous to their passage Thar
indorse the principle of workmen's compep,s
ton. Their criticism concerns the form 4
which 1t Is variously embodied in the dHtt
ent States. Industrial Accident Boards =
port active cooperation among all parts
with respect to proposals for statuto7
amendment. 1t Is, therefore not sururss,
that the Pennsylvania Manufacturers As,o
citation, which favors a compensation law "a.
this State, should call attention to the iaa
that the form of the law is q question EhsA
justifies difference of opinion.
The Question of Cost.
The principal remaining objection rslala
to the cost of compensation. Data wha
afford a true comparison of the cost to en-
ployers in settlement of accident clam
under the new laws and settlement under Il
previously existing system, or lack oflsyata
are not yet available, though 1t appears lha
in actual cash the employers as whole ~
out more in real compensation In glTsa
period than they did under the old lablHtl
laws, H. H. Kinney, secretary of the Ia
Angeles branch of the State Industrial Acr
dent Bureau of California, is quoted assay
ing that the employers in that State pay les
all told, than before the law went into effect
Certain 1t is that many economies must .
reckoned in striking the balance Finanaa
advantage to the employer consists partly
the fact that obligation becpmes fixed II
can estimate his probable accident cost for
current period and add it to the cost q ha
finished product. The ultimate consnms
pays it in such proportion and In such ID
tangible fashion that it passes unnoteed "a
truth is that a compensation law does q
add burden. 1t rather regulates a pufaA
that already existed in some form or 'ihs
and distributes 1t by means Of insuranes
This ideal result will be more eompelsl
realized when acts are both compulsory IN
uniform, and the desired uniformity Ela
the sooner achieved the faster the indiva0A
States adopt the provisions Of the Yan0a
acts which experience shows give the bess 2
suits.
The cost of compensation and the eeA
insurance are subjects which merit moN =
tailed treatment, and will, therefore Pc sss
sidered in subsequent article. The foals
of the ambulance-chasers and the reduei@
of litigation suggest only few OF the aasss
tages to employers protected by eonpsA'z
tion law.
Social Not Glass Legislation.
There are certain economies that aezz
not only to employers, but to the pppas :
large. One is the saving in trial eouts +.
especially where the administrator
law is lntrusted to an accident ooa.e
large Industrial centres at least one-'n4s
the time of the trial courts Is eonsu'4
employers liability litigation. Ihe
saves a great deal, also in poor tsh4
penditures This economy is the mofs e
ing when It is considered that, with emRs.s
or their families who are placed IN -
where they are compelled to seek fs.a -
this kind, there is danger that some :
win be weak enough to acquire the - -.
More important than money eohs,ss' X
is the development OF better feepns. -. !.
greater sense OF common interest," =
employer and employe When poth =. -.
vate and social advantages OF w.
compensation are summed up, thsss ~ f..
seen to be practical expression .. ~
that we are ali members of one poos