Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-28
Miss Ward Describes Brook
Ign Submarine Disaster Be-
:. fore House Committee.
ASKS FAVORABLE ACTION
!; ON McGILlICUDDY BILL
Urges Adequate Care of Federal EN-
ployes and Families in Case OF
Disability.

The men from the recently exploited
e. submarine who lie in the Cumber-
And Street Hospital at Brooklyn, blind,
eorn and scarcely sbearing the sem
siance of human beings. were described
drama ically by a first-hand witness.
Miss Eva Ward, before the judiciary
committee of the Mouse this morning.
She was making her appeal for the
McGillicuddy bill, which is aimed at
providing suitable compensation to
governmental employees who fall into
disease or disability or. death from &C
cidents or conditions arising from their
occupations. Miss Ward is member
Of the staff of the Association for Labor
Legislation, and was one of several
speakers before the committee today
who earnestly advocated the passage
If legislation destined to give federal
workers some hope of a pension of
adequate proportions in case of dis
ability or death.
II called at the hospital on January
e6-just two davs ago., said Miss Ward.
THAT was eleven days after the acct
dent. OF the men who had been blown
almost to bits on the E. five had in
turies that were strangely similar.
There were terrible burns on the head,
neck, face, wrists and hands. In the
ease of one of the crew, kalplan. there
We're terrific Commissions and deep cuts.
They lay there blind and deaf-perhapS
forever. seeing nothing. hearing moth
ing. but in most asoniZing pain. Their
fps are burned frightfully. their ewes
are DANA ged and full of puS. The
surgeon told me that every one of them
will be, SCARED and battered. for life
There is ans hope for anything better
than that.
Some Have Families.
,''Eachs-ef them is a young man, and
one Of them has three children. eight,
six and fovr years old. Another one has
two little boys both less than four years
old. One Of the men who were killed re-
eeived but 81 day. and one of those
now lying at the point of death re-
ceived the same pay.
nder the present law the maximum
SS00:'l.e
DIR. John B. Andrews of New York,
secretary of the American Association
for Labor Legislation, declared the
present status of compensation for fed
eraf employees to be the worst in the
world He gave actual instances where
broken; AIMS and legs were compel
sa ted. for by the government in sums
less than SIS; where the loss of an eye
was paid for by less than $50. He gave
three cases where workmen for the
government lost both legs in the line
Of duty and received an average of
$317.4O
-"There is no other country in the
world" declared former Cornmi sioner
" Labor Charles P. Neill. where the
widows and children of men killed in
government service are offered such
tidieuseusly and, 'disgracefully. small
pay.
Employees Without Redress.
DIR. Royal Meeker. the present COM
missioner of labor statistics, stated
that his bureau and Secretary of Labor
Wilson favor the passage of the Nc
Gillicuddy bill. He enforced the point
that since the~-sovereign can do no
wrong" there is no such thing as en-
pioyer's liability in the federal service
ana consequently three-fourths or
about 100000 of the employees of the
government are at present without re-
dress when injured.
The proposed new law has the in
dorsement of-numerous civic organize
lions. as well as of the American AS
ISOLATION for La Dor Legislation and. the
American Federation of Dor. The
same bill was Seported favorably by
the judiciary committee of the last Con-
gress, and il is believed that il will
pass tHe mouse Dy large ma Jority II
reported, favorably without further de-
The NcGulicuddy bill, which was re-
ported favorably in the last Congress
provides for compensation in case of
injury for every civilian employee of the
government, and covers occupational
diseases as well as injuries. The pres
ent law covers only a fourth of the
governments 100000 civilian employees.
and applies only to injuries. The McGil-
hcuddy bill provides for proper medical
attendance, whereas the present law
does not. 1t also provides-for compeD-
sation TO be paid during disability, in