Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-12-07
OPEN FORUM
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Editor Capital Journal:
I have read with interest the article
in the Journal of Saturday evening
"Open Forum" regarding the work
mems compensation law as applied to
the farmer, have been a student Of
this law for some time and have been
looking for some one to open discus
sion along these lines in order that we
all may get little more light on the
subject which is becoming more import
ant every day.
Our friend speaks from the stand.
point of the farmer-I would like to
speak from the standpoint of the small
builder or contractor, the one who has
to bid on the small building contracts
where the difference Of the few dollars
figured for insurance may be the means
! of: losing the contract.
We all must agree that there are
some excellent points in this law ant
! this fact is brought to our notice every
day by the commissioners as it is to
their interest to keep the good before
the public and say nothing about the
many weak points that naturally arise
in every new administration of our
many laws, however it appears to the
writer that with the present method
of administration it is the man who is
listed as builder, who advertises the
fact and who uses any publicity at all
in his business that pays the insurance
and the man who says nothing and
keeps quiet that gets off easy, if the
commission have not placed them on
their original list of employers Of haZ-
ardous labor, and if through ignorance,
neglect, or any cause they fail to re-
port and if they go ahead and finish
the contract without accident and no
notice is taken of the fact that this
has been done, is it not you and | who
have been contributing regularly to the
fund the ones who are paying for his
insurance. Under the law they become
automatically protected and should an
accident happen they are entitled to
Just as much protection as the man
who has been making regular payments
on his payroll be it large or small, and
in this day of keen competition the
man who figures on the contract and
knows there is chance to beat the in
surance fund is the man who usually
gets the job.
During the first part of the year the
writer had occasion to do several sm'
contracts in the southern part Of tho
state. About every 60 or 90 days u
young man representing the commission
would appear on the scene and inspect
the time books, pay roll or whatever
record the contractors would have Of
work finished or in the process Of con
struction, and would look up all new
work, in fact keep as good a check
on the building operations as possible,
but I understand that even that has
been discontinued and that the commits.
sion could not afford to keep up this
extra expense. In my opinion this was
one Of the most valuable parts Of the
organization and If there were more Of
them tho commission would be able to
keep closer track on the small con
tractor who is lodging the law.
Another great drawback with the
present manner Of collections is the
manner of "coaxing" the remittances
from the people that have been so un-
fortunate as to have been numbered on
the original list as coming under the
head Of employers Of labor under a
hazard. have known cases where the
party in question has not employed
help for years and yet has received a
notice under the attorney general y
form stating that he Is required to pay
the commission the sum Of twenty-five
dollars, and l know of cases where
this amount has actually been paid ~
where the commission have written
back that the amount will be credited
to his account should he Mt any future
time engage in this occupation.
OF course we all realize that the law
is in its crude form and that no doubt
in time II will adjust itself to tho con.
ditions of this state, but Fl
lieve that in order to make IL a success
in Oregon that some system will have
TO be worked out whereby n closer
check will be kept on construction work
throughout the state and whero report
will have TO be made tho commission
before protection will be allowed on n
contract or building and in case the
same ia not applied for and no report
has been received by the acciA""'
mission the party operating win be dc.
prived Of all protection, Of course some
Of you win say that the expense Of