Denver labor bulletin., 1915-02-27
COURT PLAN FAILS
In WORKERS LAW
Compensation Should Be Ad-
ministered By Commission
Report Made After Thorough Investi-
cation Of New Jersey Method Disap-
proves the Present Court System

The contention OF the American Asso-
citation ior Labor Legislation that the in
terests OF the workers can only be served
bv the creation Of a board or commits
sion to administer compensation laws
has Just received strong endorsement in
New Jersey through the filing OF a MIN
ority report with the governor on this
question by the labor representatives on
the Employers Liability Commission.
This commission i appointed under the
law by the governor to report on the
working OF the New Jersey Compensa-
tion act of 1911, the first state law of
its Kind in the country, and to make
recommendations for its amendment
The labor representatives report
while agreeing most heartily with the
other members OF our commission as to
the desirability of recommending legis-
laticn "a for the adoption OF a eonsu-
tutional amendment authorizing the
legislature to pass compulsory CON-
pcnsation law: g2l for the security of
payment of awards through compul-
.orv insurance system; 49, for the crea-
tion Of a state insurance fund; t4l for
the regulation of certain protective
clauses in policies of liability insurance;
,5l for investigation looking toward the
extension of the compensation principle
10 embrace occupational diseases; and
t6l for the purpose of making more
nearly adequate the compensation scale,
we nevertheless feel that We would be
untrue to our responsibility to the legis-
lature and to the people of the whole
state If We did not register an en-
ahatic protest against the continuance
OF the court sys-em of administration
and recommend instead the creation OF
an administrative board with summary
powers.
Court System Failure.
As direct representatives upon the
commission of the great body of indus
trial workers for whose protection the
compensation law was enacted, We have
perhaps been in position to observe
more intimately than our four esteemed
eollea gues the points at which our pres
ent Compensation system has failed sat
isfactorily to fulfil its purpose And
our personal observation and our study
of the subject lead us to believe that
the serious weakness of the present law
is this unfortunate provision for its ad-
mimistration through the courts. We
have made as diligent inquiry as OPP
portunity afforded and we have given
special attention TO this problem of law
enforcement"
In review of their reasons for TAX
inc this stand the labor representatives
point out that NO state has abandoned
The commission form for the court sys-
tenn. while two states which at first
followed the New Jersey court plan have
already abandoned it ais unsatisfactory
and have created administrative boards
instead"
Commission Plan Is Urged
Reference is made by the labor repre-
scntatives to the Joint report of last
wear Of the National Civic Federation
and the American Federation of Labor
ON the working of compensation laws.
As q result OF their inquiries ON this
topic these organizations strongly urged
the creation of n commission to admin
lister Compensation laws, a view also en-
dorsed by the chairman of the workmen's
compensation and accident prevention
committee of the national association
OF manufacturers
Arguments equally emphatic are quot
ed from the report of the American As
sociation for Labor Legislation on the
working Of the New Jersey law and
from resolutions passed at the annual
convention Of the American Federation
of Labor.
The Hon. Wallace d. Yaple. chairman
of the industrial commission OF Ohio,
Hon. Joseph A. Parks of the Massa-
chusetts Accident Board, and the Hon.
John Mitchell Of the workmen's compcn-
also quoted as authorities who urge the
creation of an administrative board.
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