Denver labor bulletin., 1915-12-25
RAPID GROWTH OF
LABOR LEGISLATION
Federal Bureau Report Gives
Interesting Compilation
Wyoming Compensation Act Least Lib
eral While Colorado is Rated Bad
as to Waiting Time For Help


for the old liability acts, it would be
found in Bulletin No. 1855, by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the United States
Department of Labor. The bulletin pre-
sents the legislation for the years 1914
and 1915, together with amendments to
q number of earlier laws, which in some
cases are SO extensive as to necessitate
the reprinting of the entire law. This
bulletin is in effect supplement to Bull
letin No. l26, issued two years ago as
complete compilation up to that date OF
existing legislation in this field.
The legislation of the year 1914 in
cluded three states: Kentucky, Louisiana
and Maryland One of these laws, that
of kentucky, was declared unconstitu-
tional before it came into operation. That
of Maryland superseded an earlier stat
ute reported as unworkable. The new
laws of 1915 cover eight states: Colo
RADIO, Indiana, Maine, Montana, Oklaho-
ma, Pennsylvania. Vermont and Wyom-
ing besides the territories of Alaska ana
Hawaii. The legislation of 1914 included
also Il presidential order providing
compensation system for employees of the
Panama canal and the Panama railroad,
while that of the current year includes
a similar order extending the federal
compensation act of 1905 to workmen
i tll6igeu Oil Of abouL tut SoNthhhtthN
way in Alaska. With the legislation OF
these two years thirty states and the
territories of Alaska and Hawaii now
have compensation laws. A federal stat
ute covers also about one-fourth OF the
| civilian employees of the United States.
All of this legislation has been enacted
since zoos, and practically all OF the ex-
isting legislation in the states since
1910.
Features Of Special Interest.
OF the new laws OF 1914 and 1915 one,
that OF Wyoming, must be classed as "a
compulsory insurance law, while those oil
Maryland and Oklahoma are compulsory
compensation laws. In the other states,
eight in number, the law permits the em-
ployer to elect or reject the compensa-
tion act In case he rejects it, however,
he is deprived of the customary defenses
under the liability laws.
Some of the newer laws have certain
features which are OF special interest ana
worthy OF mention. The Oklahoma fea-
ture, for example, applies only to cases
of non fatal accidents, while in Wyom-
ing all awards. whether for death OF
disability, are in the form OF lump sum
payments arbitrarily fixed by the stat
ute without regard to the earning ca
pacity of the injured person. The Alaska
statute also provides for lump sum pay
ments except for temporary disability
Legislation elsewhere has very generally
provided for periodical payments gradu'
ated according to wage loss, and this
method is favored by practically all an-
thorites.
Colorado in Low Class.
OF the new laws of 1914 and 1915 the
Wyoming act is the least liberal, the
compensation for death being limited to
funeral expenses OF $50 and a maximum
death benefit of $1,000. In comparison
| with this the Colorado statute provides
for maximum OF $500, while the max
imum OF the Alaska statute IS $6,00o
In cases of temporary disability the Col
oiado is more illibernl than any other
as it provides for no compensation foI
disabilities not extending beyond three
weeks In the statutes OF other states
the waiting time has usually been fixed
at one or two weeks, no state except
Colorado fixing longer period.
In the legislation OF 1914 and 1913
special boards or commissions for ad-
pinistration continue TO be preferred,
the laws OF Alaska and Wyoming being
the only ones enacted during 1918 which
do not have this provision. In Maine,
MARYLAND, Oklahoma and Vermont the
administrative authorities are given NO
powers other than those relating to the
administration of the compensation acts.
In Hawaii county boards with functions
restricted to the compensation act are
provided for. in Louisiana the law is
administered by the courts.
Given Broad Scope Here.
The prevention OF accidents. as well
as compensation, is provided for in a
number of the new laws Thus. the In
duet rinI Commits .aion of Colorado is
charged not only with the. administration
of the compensation act. but also with
the duty of factory and mine inspection,
the enforcement Of woman and child la
Dor laws and safety laws generally. Cor
responding provisions are found also il
the laws of Indiana and Montana.
The bulletin contains a comparative
analysis of existing workmen's compen-
sation laws in the form of n large fold
ing chart. Notwithstanding the efforts
which have been made to bring about
uniformity in compensation legislation,
comparison OF the laws of the thirty
one states which have thus far enacted
compensation laws shows the widest di.
versty in the methods and amounts OF
compensation payments and the scope OF
the various laws. Amending legislation
is in general of libcralizing character,
either including new disabilities, as oc.
cupational diseases, or increasing the
disability allowances, or introducing
other details.
Promise of future progress in compen.
sation legislation is found in the prov.
sion for q commission in Utah for the
purpose Of drafting n compensation bill
and in the amendments to the constitu-
tions of two or three states, the pur.
pose of which is to permit the enactment