The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-02-05

Michigan's workmen's compensation
law was enacted at = special session
OF the legislature In 1912.
The act was not compulsory except
as to municipalities. and there was
some criticism az to how the new law
would work out. Results since the law
went into, operation are startling. With
flag employers, representing 1.0O4
employees, coming under the operation
OF the law October 1. 1912. the num-
Der has increased by leaps and bounds
until at the present time more than
$4,000 employers, representing more
than 100000 employees. are operating
under the act.
From an Office force Of IL employees
to administer the law, the work has
grown to such an extent that at the
present time Is employees in the state
department at Lansing have hard work
to keep up with the ever-increasing
volume of work
Nearly 100000 has been paid in
jured employees and dependents of
employees killed since the law went
into effect More than 10000 agree
ments were executed and approved
by the Industrial accident board and
1000 re-enacted during the past year.
Some idea of the amount of labor
performed by the board can be CLEANED
from the fact that in the first IL months
OF 1915 there occurred 1894 fatal acct
dents which had to be dealt with by
the board, 1867 employees were com.
pletely disabled by injuries and $685.
were partially disabled for the same
period. These are actual cases which
came under the supervision OF the
board and which had to be settled
either by arbitration or direct pay.
ment. When it is taken into consider
alton that 5000 accidents were re-
ported to the state board for the first
ii months OF 1915, some idea of the
magnitude OF the work can be i'm
agined
With the constantly increasing
amount OF work to be done by the
board the salary question has not
played a very important part in the
working out of the act. all things
taken into consideration. For instance.
the yearly salaries of all employees.
including members of the board and
secretary, on October 81, 1912, amount
ed to but $l7.5S0 and but S32.220 for
1915.
How different for the widow under
the present plan than prior to 1912.
Then the husband. the sole provider
of the vie and family. went to work
in the morning and before nightfall
word was received that he had met
death in the mill or the mine or shop
where he was employed.
What was the result? In nine cases
out Of ten the widow. after the flu
neral, would consult an attorney. She
would b told that there was chance
OF collecting judgment against the
employer, providing il was ascertained
the accident was no fault of the killed
employee. The widow was generally
told by the lawyer that he would take
the case and split $3.50 on the judg.
ment secured. This. in many cases.
left the widow little or nothing.
How is it under the present law?
The husband is killed, the accident is
reported to the industrial accident
board. the insurance company carry.
ing the risk Of the employer is mott.
fled and IL there is no dispute the in.
surance company pays, either in a
lump sum or by weekly or monthly
payments, sum designated under the
law, which is one-half his weekly
wages for a period of 300 weeks. II
there is dispute between employer
and dependents as to the cause of the
accident and the employer desires to
contest the claim, what is the pro-
cedure? The widow or dependent of
the deceased workman does not have
to hire an attorney. She is notified by
the Industrial accident board that an
arbitration hearing has been set for
her case and she appears either at
Lansing or some other designated
point. She is allowed to name one
arbitrator. the employer another and
a member of the industrial accident
board acts as the third member OF the
committee. The case is heard, and. IL
the widow is sustained, she receives
her compensation unless the employer
desires to carry the case to the full
board. In that event hearing is held
before the full board and the decision
of the arbitration committee is either
affirmed or rejected.