Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-24
Is One of the Biggest Tasks
Before the Present
Legislature.
COPY OTHER STATES
Committee VIII Draft Sub
stitute for All the Bills
Presented.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 23 3-One
OF the biggest tasks OF the 'ifth Ok
lahoma Legislature will be TO enact
a workmcu's compensation act that
win be fair alike to employer and
employee. To this end a number Of
such bills have already been intro
duced, some bearing the sanction Of
the manufacturers and other employ
crs and others carrying the endorse
mcnt Of organized labor.
II may take days and weeks to
thresh out the details Of the question
on the floor Of the assembly, but the
hardest work will be encountered in
committee, where but one bill must
be finally decided upon as the near
est perfect of the many measures IN
trOduced.
Twenty-six states have now adopted
worllmcn's compensation laws ana 1t
is a conceded fact that this legislature
must give oklahoma a similar act.
Has Draughtcd n Bill.
Representative c. V. Peery Of Lau-
mer county, who Is a member Of the
committee to which all OF these bills
have been referred, has gone over the
question in all of its phases and has
draughted a bill which he thinks en-
laws of this character that are now in
force in the states Of Washington,
Oregon, Ohio and New York. There
is hardly an original clause In the
bill, but Representative Perry pro-
noses to offer his measure as a com
mittce substitute for all pending acts
OF the kind and he believes That his
win be the bill that will be ultimately
reported to the house for passage
The bin provides compensation for
cmploycs who are injured while IN
the pursuance OF extra hazardous
occupations, and carries no provision
for reCompensing the widows or he'lS
of workmen who are Killed. REPRE-
sentative Peery being OF the opinion
that the state has no jurisdiction over
death cases in this respect
The extra hazardous occupations
defined by the act are as follows:
| Factories. mills and workshops
where machinery Is used; printing,
| clectrotyping, phOto-eneraNmg ana
derotyping plants where machinery IL
Iused. foundrics, blast furnaces, mines,
wells. gas works, water works, feuuC-
tiou works. elevators, dredges' smell-
crs powder works; laundries oper-
gtcd by power; quarries; engineering
works; numbering; street ana lhteI-
urban railroads not engaged in inter-
state commerce; buildings being con
structed repaired moved or demol-
! lshcd; telegraph, telephone elec'rIc
! light or power plants or lines steaIn
heating or power plants and rallroaus
not engaged in interstate commerce
Industrial Commission.
There is created an industrial com
mission of oklahoma, TO be composed
Of three members to be appointed by
/ tho governor. and whose salary shali
| hc $4,000 per year each. This COM
mission viii have full authority TO
carry out the provisions OF the act
A state insurance fund Is created
| for the purpose of compensaung the
injured employees and insuring en-
Iployers against liability. EaCh EN-
ployer coming under the provisions
| of the act must pay semi-annual
/ premlums into this fund the amount
/ of which shall be regulated by the
industrial commission with reference
/ to the comparative hazard or each
occupation. The premium will be
/ largely based upon the payroll or the
/ individual employer.
/ Tho compensation for injured en-
ploycs can be paid either in a lump
or In monthly payments at the dls-
elimination Of the commission and IN
addition thereto reasonable sum or
medical and surgical attention I'M
mcdiatelV after the accident can be
paid.
An Illustration.
The scale OF compensation is an ex-
| tensive one, but an illustration fol-
lows
/ II workman loses an arm above
tho elbow he will receive $1,000 and
! II he loses one eye he will receive
81 900 and so on. 49,.
II il becomes q law the act will
take effect January 1. 1916.