Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1916-03-10
QUICK Pay FOR
INJURED WORANEN
lhou3TRIkL BOARD MAKES GIG
CHANGE IN HAZARDOUS
OCCUPATIONS.
CUT LAWS COST AND DELAY
Teller Who 10 Hurt Can Get Hearing
Without Expense In eeventeen
Days After Filing Ap-
pilcation-

Replacing costly aud lengthy court
proceedings with simple. investigations
and hearings without costs. the Indus.
trial Board OF Illinois settled since its
creation, up to January l. i9lG. more
than 1900 personal injury cases under
tho xorkfngmen's compensation law.
A report TO Governor Dunno By the
board sets forth the success which
has been attained IN doing away With
tho exporfes and delays Of Jusuce, as
II was meted out 10 injured working.
men when all disputes betsecn tho
injured men and their employers had
To he tried In court before jury.
5tatistlcs are now being gathered 70
pse Ia preparing an accurate COM
parison OF the delay and cost of the
Old pysten with uhe new. :.
How Hearing 10 Begun.
When an injured workingman whose
employer has accepted the Jurisdiction
OF tho workingmen's compensation
law. Is unable TO agree on the amount
due as damages. instead OF hiring q
lawyer and contracting 10 pay him
half OF all that can be recovered. he
now goes or writes TO the Industrial
Board, so3 City Hall Square building.
Chicago. stating his case. An inves-
tigator Is assigned who attempts TO ar
range q settlement satisfactory to both
sides. II this cannot be Gone. the
~.rtf..rr.~ ..xtt,fcr. fa~ /. haa -trg -
fore an arbitration agent.
II either the work.ngman or the
employer demands that an arbitration
committee be appointed-that Is q
~ by the workingmas. the employer
and the state board-the one petition
Ing for Tho committee must pay $40.
which 10 the compensation OF the ar
b.trators. II the committee is not In
sisted upon. the hearing is held before
an agent of tho board. whom the state
pays. A record of the hearing is taken
by stenographer paid by tho state.
Trial is Quickly Set.
An average OF Ave applications for
hearings n day were filed in 1915: no.
tices were mailed In every case within
fory.cight hnira. Five days are given
10 which the parties may appoint ar
bltraiors. or agree to accept the
boards arbitrator as the sole referee.
Then the case IL set for hearing. ten
days notice being given. In II days.
on an average. from the time the APP
pllcatica Was filed. the case Is heard.
AS york was greatly congestcd In
1915 by insufficient appropriations.
eighteen cases day are now being
heard. and flye state arbitrators are at
work In Chicago and two In the state
outEide.
Where the evidence In the case Is
simple and the injury alleged does not
require medical testimony 10 establish.
II is not necessary for the working
man TO employ q lawyer. or expert
witnesses. Where lawyers are EN-
ployed. the fees are greatly in con-
trast with the old days OF contingent
fees. when half the amount recovered
was the usual compensation. With
few exceptions hearings are complet-
ed In single day.
Appeal TO Board Only.
II the decision of the arbitrator or
committee of arbitration is not salts
factory to either side. appeal may be
taken to the industrial board. From
October 1913. to December 81, 1914.
1.G26 applications for adjustment were
filed and there were s93 petitions for
review by the industrial board. In
1915. there were 1929 applications for
enlistment. End 2cs nef:.lons fcs 80