Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-25

! of this point, IL seems, Snouiu nave
come to the minds of the committee
| Those members of the committee who
argued for the exemption, claimed that
many Of the employees engaged IN the
numbering industries are of wander
ing class and belonging without the
| state. The argument lacks force when
we consider that by far the great ma
| jority of those employed are residents
of the State of Maine$
N is also difficult to understand
why those not employing more than
five regularly were exempted. A per-
son may employ ten or more some
times and still not employ five regu-
larlys
In the small employments accidents
are as liable to happen as in the large
plants. The degree of pain accom-
panying the injury will be the same
/ and the rights and benefits open to
I one class of employments ought to be
open to all.
AN examination of the Labor De-
a good right to object strenuously to
| our legislature enacting such a law as
to the counties, they are divided as
tee
IAN examination Of the Labor De-
partment reports disclose the fact
that about 1900 small manufacturing
plants are exempted under the law. AS
to the counties. they are divided as
follows:
"Androscoggin 100, Aroostook 81,
Cumberland $50, Franklin S5. Hancock
108, kennebec 112, Knox 103, Lincoln,
100, Oxford 125. Penobscot 210. Piscat-
aquis 81. Sagadahoc so, Somerset 107,
| Waldo 81, Washington 120, York 1922.
These are only the manufacturing
plants. These figures do not include
the small laundrieS, restaurants, no.
tells, and the small stores employing
not more than five regularly. | would
not estimate the number of stores at
less than ten thousand.
Looking al the exemptions in the
face Of these figures, person will
wonder what could prompt commit
tee supposed to carefully consider all
| these matters to refuse to extend to so
many thousand working men and wo-
men the benefits that must accrue to
them under a compensation act, if they
received due consideration"
Amount of Compensation.
THE bill as reported allows but fifty
per cent of the average weekly wages
| with maximum of ten dollars per
week. In the first place, the low max
inum amount hits the skilled workmen
hard in some industries. Furthermore
the same maximum for both fatal and
| non fatal accidents is an unjust limit
| alton.
The principal of compensation is
that payments to injured employees
should enable them to provide for
themselves and their families substan-
TALLY as well during disability as when
they are working. The principle may
be declared unreasonable by those
without the opportunity of examining
the operations of the various laws. If
50, an attempt at adopting 1.-THE princi-
pie should be undertaken, but such an
attempt is not made when the so per
cent scale is adopted. The average
man in Maine earns ten dollars week.
Ii he is injured. and his employer is
an asserting one, that is adopts the
act, fifty per cent of his weekly wage
is five dollars. The first two weeks he
| receives nothing. His compensation
commences on the fifteenth day
Five dollars a week is small enough
| Tor the single man, but what will hap
pen to the married man with rent to
pay and a. family to Keep, and if the
injury is a bad one. the doctors bills
| after the first two weeks which must
be paid by the injured person.
If an employee Of thirty years Of
age with family is totally disabled
and receives but FIVE dollars q, week,
at the end of ten years, which is five
hum i~n1 IL
stops. During that time he has re-
ceived $259o.00. The man is then forty
| years of age. Who is going to aid
/ him then? Whence. during the time
| his compensation is payable, will
come the balance above the five dol
lars per week that VIII purchase the
necessaIies of life? From pubic and
private charity as has been the case
, in the past. If the man had been
earning twenty dollars per week, he
receives ten dollars per week dur
ing disability! for three hundred weeks
and no longer, as the maximum
amount payable is $300G.oo. IN this
case the man would be thirty six years
of age when comDensat ton ceased.
The 2hoVe illustration is the cas-
lest way 10 understand the inadequate
! compensation payable under the act.
The act is fatally defective in it's
| provisions for medical attendance.
! After the first two weeks, the en-
| ployee must bear the burden of all
the medical expenses. Suppose as has
been the case under other acts, that
after the fifteenth day developments
| are such that an operation is required,
the injured employee can expect no
financial AID except from his own
| savings and failing that, his ouly re-
course is wherever it can be found
Commission
THE act provides for hybrid com
mission. with powers delegated to the
so-called commission itself and to two
other state departments. The in
surance commissioner exercises a one
man Judgment in various matters; the
labor commissioner uses his Judgment
IN various others. and when the chair
man. Of the commission and the labor
and insurance commissioners assemble
together as a commission, they eX-
ercise various other functions. The
duties delegated to the state depart
,nents properly belong to the commits
sion and where an attempt has been
r,aha To a one ShOnld he