The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-07-07
LEGISLATURE WILL
. Be ASKED TOAMEND.
ACT
Salaries For Commissioners Big
gest Change Needed In =.
Present Measure
OTHERS WOULD SHORTEN
PERIOD OF DISABILITY
Lump Sum Settlement Option
Among Other Alterations That
Will Be Suggested

wv al,
Some important changes may be
made in the workmen's compensation
act when the Legislature meets next
year
What is wrong with the act3
What changes are needed
One who is seeking an answer Ia
these questions may meet great deal
or side stcpping, hesitnting and fat re.
fusals. The insurance agencies are
particularly Tetic2nt. While IL is OBJ
vious from their conduct that the act
has some little features about il which
do not meet with their pleasure, they
are not exactly keen about discussing
them.
Several men-nOt insurance men
who have made a. study of the statute
are planning to present amendments to
the next legislature. The most import,
ant are:
Suggestions For Changes
Salary for the commissioners.
A 50 in place of 60 per cent compen
sation basis.
A shortening Of the disability
period.
A big increase in liability for medical
treatment.
lump sum settlement option
Commissioners on the industrial ac-
'ident board give their services with
out receiving compensation, and as
their work is growing and taking more
and more time, there is strong senti-
ment in favor of paying at least the
chairman on the board substantial
salary.
A disabled laborer, after the four.
teen days period, is allowed compen.
satiOn at the rate of sixty per cent
figured out on the basis of his average
weekly earnings. That this per cen
tum should be increased to at least
sixty five IS contendcd by persons who
compare the wage scale here with that
of California.
Shorten Disability Period
BY the shortening of the disability
period is meant the reduction in the
time which must expire after the ac-
cidcnt before an employee is entitled
to receive compensation. This is four
teen DAYS under the act. In other
words, man injured today is en-.
TITLED to no compensation until July
20. For the stretch of these fourteen
days he must get along the best he can,
and if he survives them he is entitled
to sixty per cent of his average week
Iy earnings for a period determined
upon by the board, subject, of course,
to the regulations Of the act.
There seems to bc>considPrable to be
said both for and against reducing this
fourteen day period. For one thing it
lS guard against malingerers. A man
is not likely to play sick when he
knows that he will lose two weeks
salary at the jump, point out insurance
men, who insist that the cases of ap-
parent malingercring are innumcrablr
and must be vigorously guarded
against.
Medical Treatment Question
1t is likely that an amendment will
be offered to double the liability of an
employer for medical treatment of an
injured emplOve, At present it is
fifty dollars, sum which has proved |
far inadequate to cover hospital bills !
doctors fees, and other costs in scri
GUS cases, though quite sufficient for
all purposes in minor injuries.
The accident board has power to
make lump sum settlements. That is |
it can give an injured man, or de. |
pendent Of ii deceased employc, GER. |
tain sum in place of string of week
~ payments. This power the board |
has exercised in but few cases, feel
irg that the interests of the injured |
cmplOyc or the dependent, as the case
might be, were better safeguarded by
the payment of weekly sums. Insur-
ance men favor lump sum settlements.
uR it saves them great amount Of
bookkeeping and probably saves them
money besides. The ma jority of them
would probably like to see the act
amended so as to leave it optional with
the employe whether he receives a
lump sum or weekly payments. r Z !
Warns Against Haste
"No hasty changes should be made
In the act cautioned an insurance
man yesterday. "rhc present low
rates insurance companies are giving
employers is figured ont very carefully
and any change would probably mean
an increase. You are paying eighty
per cent here while California is pay
ing hundred.
at would b" grave mistake to re
luce the non. payment period. -Four
teen days is short enough. If man
could get compensation immediately
nfter an injury, we would be overload
ed with takers. And it is Just about as
hard to prove man is malingering as