Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-12-04
4 x ***********,k " 4 X
OPEN FORUM
Commissioner Abrams Replies.
Salem. Ore. Nov. 3n. 1N15

OANsf ANO's ONy itIVs
Editor Capital Journal:
In Saturdays issue you printed a
communication signed Farmer" in
which the Oregon workmen IS compensa.
tion act was severely condemned, and
the charge made that it was largely re-
sponsible for mluch of the unemploy-
ment of labor
A careful examination Of that article
will convince anyone that its author
was not familiar with workmen s com
pensation in Oregon, but was discussing
the employers liability act. The EN-.
ployers' liability act is rather drastic.
1t was submitted by organized labor
to the people of Oregon, and passed by
popular vote. 1t provides, as Farm
er" states, for liability against the EN-.
ployer, including farmers in case of in
jury to workmen, and it was largely
the drastic nature of this act and its
danger to small employers that brought
about the Oregon workmen's 8 compensa-
tion law.
The Oregon workmen's compensation
law is an absolute protection to the
Employer against damages for injured
wCrkmen. 1t is simply the state under
taking, for a small fee, to compensate
workmen for injuries received in the
course of their employment, and deny
ing to such injured workmen the right
to sue their employers for damages.
fhe state makes an appropriation suf-
ficient to pay the expense of opera
tion and administration of this law,
hnn0n IA1lon thnf - an11n.fnI
from employers is paid back to injured
workmen.
Under the amended act, the commits
sion has been given power to permit
farmers to take advantage Of its pro-
visions by making application to the
State Industrial Accident commission,
and thereby entering into contract with
the state in the same way that they
would in taking out a policy with an
insurance company. This law is not
made to cover any workmen or any en-
ployer who does not desire to take adj
vantage of its provisions, as each is
given the privilege Of rejecting. How
ever, a very large percentage of the
firms and employers doing business in
this state have seen fit to take advant-
age of the act There are at the pres
ent time over 6,300 firms and employ
ers working under the act, and this in
cludes several hundred farmers; in fact,
L might say that the application from
farmers in Oregon average, at the
present time, several day, and that
they are coming under the act volun-
tarily more rapidly than any other
class, inasmuch as they realize that
in the majority of cases they are un-
able to stand the loss that would be
occasioned by an injured workman re-
ceiving large damages against them
through the courts under the employ
ers' liability act
Instead of being a hindrance to in
dustry, workmen's compensation is in
it; firms which therefore fear
ed to employ labor, are now doing so
fearlessly, knowing that by the pay
ment Of small percentage of their
pay roll to the state, they are absolute
ly secure against INJURY.
Furthermore, the families of injured
workmen are being cared for by the
state under this act, and widows and
families of deceased workmen, killed
in the course of their employment, are
being pensioned by the state, all at the
expense of the fund collected from em-
ployers, and in this way a great deal
Of the poverty and suffering heretofore
existing, is now being prevented.
The Oregon act is very similar to the
KANSAS act, and does not include in its
automatic operations any employer,
which Kansas does not but on the 9TH
er hand does permit farmers and other
operations to take ad-
vantage of the protection of this act,
by making written application to this
commission, and giving his workmen
30 days notice Any employer who
does not desire to contribute, or to take
advantage of the act, may reject, by
his employer in writing dur
ing the 30 day period, Thereafter,
either employer or worlmen may, at
any time before May lst of any year,
file rejection, which will become eff
fective on July LIST following, and there
after relieve both from the necessity
Of contributing. Thus you will see that
no farmers will be burdened with the |
workmen' compensation law who does
not desire its protection. Those who
accept its provisions contribute month
iy to the commission two per cent of |
their pay roll and collect and remit |
in addition one cent day from each
workman.
The law has already proved of vast
economic benefit to Oregon, more than
enough to offset the cost of the law to
The public. In the matter of court costs
Of law suits alone, Circuit Judge Gan.
tenbein of Multnomah county, wrote the
commission recently that since the Ore.
yon workmen's compensation act be.
came effective, personal injury litiga-
ion has decreased more than 80 per
,ent in the courts Of that county.
CARLE ABRAMS,
state Industrial Accident Commits, ,
sioner.
Tho Nhaaca To ortnru