Iditarod pioneer., 1915-07-03
DTARoD PIONEER SATURDAY MORNING, JULY B. 1915

surviving relatives of men killed the be put the of bringing places possibly far remote from their place of residence In Interior Alaska this section would act practical bar to instances often the operator absentee and
 his principal place of business be far removed from the of the accident
 The compensation fixed by the act at $oOOO the case of accidental death leaving widow and several ch den widow without children S3OOO. While these above the average of the states having enacments the subject and be considered liberal by the poorly paid miners of Southeastern Alaska with the value of .he life of an Interior Alaska miner.
 But the audacous stroke o the vly corporation lawyer drawing up the act under consideration contained the following clause of Section s.
 this % M the M % @ Sn' a % ssmcs 5hef ba not p "y s bn sfo""s S1 % out 's % nnd 0S 'be soe ms except otbs h have the plead and rely and all deen including those and available the employer otherwise provided
 proven that the the result of the caeessness fault
 fellow damages could be collected by the injured empoye Assumption of risk and conbutoy negligence also deense which could be pleaded The congress of the United States ago made these denses invalid applied accidents of railroads which the extent its jurisdiction One of the credabe acts of the First Alaska legislature the of law fix the liability of for personal injuries sustained by their employees In this provided that employers should be liable for damages their dependents for death resulting from the negligence of any of their officers, agents poyes by of defect nsucency due to its or then negligence Section of the act provided that contrbutoy neg gence should bar to recovery
 The object of Section B of the under discussion compel the of the subJecng them ecng hem loss of rights already gwen them by law Surely there was no need of this that wokngman file with the of the precinct which he employed of his rejection the of the and rely for redress of injury the old laws the of nerant workers they would be compelled file notices each pecmct winch they worked But hardly likely that any number of Alaska work ngnen will avail themselves of the thus evae the ton of this law the of filing fees each individual instance The consideration shown for the mining companies by the legislature dis
 played the fact that the employer thousand the benefit of the protection of the by filing notice thereof with United States cost of $50 In each of he thousand employees should desire deny themselves the benefit of the law they may do likewise but will cost them 50 each $l 500, against the employers l.5O
 The blind confidence which the members of the Alaska legislature displayed the for the mining interests and e parent willingness adopt their suggestions for legislation this
 important subject though they the pokesmen for both poyer and epoye of the stangest incidents of the son and the people of Alaska will expect light be thrown upon this proceeding.
 In the meantime the compensation act the law of the territory and any dissatisfied with provisions file notice to that effect which he faces the certainty of losing damage suit hat he may naugurae because of the with which prove that his injury was caused through the fault of fellow work man, other spacious plea
 The ostenbe object of the law decrease litigation and duce settlement of damage of court which set worthy design As enacted however, the of attorneys will be required order to look after the applicants interests and the only ec apparently gained that of limiting the of damages which may be recovered This itself M of important item to the large employers of labor in dangerous occupations