National news. (Chicago, Ill.) 1915-19??, 1916-02-12
An Attempt TO Correct I Con-
djtion That Meant VAST.
DECREASE OF LITIGATION.
Time and Money Formerly Spent N
Law Courts BY On Emplsys o~ssOht
Him No Relief - Employer Alec
Profit BY the New systs"s-ssssty
First Pays Both Psrtiss-
o. Nanny A MAckev.

~ NANNY n MASNevs
Chairman Pennsylvania workmens com
pensat'on board.
The principle Of uniform cOmpensa.
tinn for injuries received In industrial
occupations without regard to fault Or
negligence has taken the strongest bold
upon our people aud has made the most
remarkable record in lawmskins bod
les Of any social legislation that has
been projected into our social fabric
FOR u generation. \ glance at the stat
NJ, books II the various states Of the
Union for the year 1915 will be DOst
Illuminating aud convincing. During
ia. last year Colorado. Indiana, Maine.
Montana. Oklahoma. rennsylvania.
Vermont and Wyoming besides Alas
Ia aud Hawaii-adopted compensa
ton laws In fourteen states-namely.
California. Connecticut, Illinois, Mas
sachuseus. Michigan. Minnesota. Ne
vada New Jersey. New York. Oregon.
Rhode Island. Washington. West Viz
ginia aud Wisconsin, principle was
vindient,-i and its thorough establish
ment emphasized by the adoption u
amendments to the already existing
laws In order to strengthen and reen.
force them and to correct weaknesses
tointed out by judicial decisions.
What does this all meant Why such
progress In its adoption1 What II the
thought behind II ani II n an attempt
to correct condition that simply
meant waste. no matter from what
viewIoln, you addressed yourself to M
consideration An industrial accident
TO an employee for which there could
hav. h~n no compensation under the
old law was waste.
Time and money spent By an EN-.
ployer Ia an attempt TO recover dam.
agra was waste.
An occasional verdict enormously re.
ducrd by fees and expenses with the
too often prodigal and reckless expsnd-
iturs Of the same due to its sudden &C.
QUESTION In bulk BY the employee was
waste.
Litigation causing friction and irEita.
ton between employer and employee.
loss Of time In court and the s0spsn.
sion OF business activity during sttesd
ance at trials WAS waste
Money paid By employers TO insur-
ance companies. not TO compensate for
injuries. but to guarantee the result Of
lawsuits. WAS waste. The whole situa-
ton then was the absolute antithesis
Of economy and efficiency. Employer
awokc To the fact that the health. hap
piness and contentment Of the wage
-arners were the greatest assets OF any
Industrial plant. ~ that now Safety
First" has bscome the most prominent
/ and encouraging sign In any establish
ment where men labor and produce.
The great thinkers then tegan TO
evolve solution. They looked upon oil
this waste. They saw Its demornlix-
ing effect upon society. They realized
| that often Just claims were not prose.
cuted by the employee because Of the
fear of the power Of the employer
They finally beheid the real tragedy Of
| II Rll-whcre less without comIensa.
| ton. With Its enforced idleness. kept
| the Children from school. lowered the
standard 81 living and nlled the poor
houses Of our districts. with Its conse.
quent drain upon the public pure.
From the employers side came VI
sions " the danger grow Ing out Of iii
CATION. with Its antngonisms and dis
rupting influences. while they saw that
the public was vastly interested In pro
noting harmony and co-op~ratiou BE-
tween employer and employee. ss q
great economic proposition. They also
learned that our courts were over
crowded with this form Of litigation.
and charities and poor districts WEIR
overtaxed because of enforced pauper
Ism incident 10 uncomIensnfed inju.
rie-. The solution then became inev.
table:
First This loss had TO lie charged
10 production and eventually horne by
those who consume. use or enjoy the
finished product. and In order that
this c"st might be equally and properly
distributed among the CONSUMERS Il
must first fall upon the employer.
Every great enterprise. then. In Its re-
lhtipn In cost IL computed IN terms Of
money and human sacrifices. Including
l"ss Of lie. members and time due to
accident and permanent disability.
Second. 4 system had necessarily tn
he evolved that r-iuces litigation to u
minimum
Third -'ertainty must he estab
hshed that II. the employer must I've
able to know Just where he staisis.
AMI the employee must 20 about his
work "ontente'i In the thought that u
misfortune should overtake him Wise
provision has been made for his medi.
'atl"n aud the maintenance OF his de
pendenfs
Fourth The success of any compen-
m'"n law must depend upon Its uni
fornity and fixed standar ,l-
| rom these pecpssltlcs and ut,ou