Denver labor bulletin., 1916-11-25
New Federal Workmen's
Comb ensation Ldu
By JOHN B. ANDREWS

to quit work unless such protection was
extended to their highly dangerous oc-
cupation!
The new law, which went into effect
Immediately upon being signed, embodies
the standards put forth by the Associa-
tion for Labor Legislation each Septem-
ber. 1t covers all of the governments
half million civil employees, instead of
only onethird OF them, as did the frag-
mentary acts which it supersedes. I'm
der the term personal injury it offers
relief to many victims OF occupational
diseases, who, as stated, We're excluded
by the old law from indemnity. Dis
| abled workmen now are entitled to bene-
fits beginning with the fourth day of
disability; the former inadequate stat
ute allowed no benefits unless disability
extended into the sixteenth day. thus
depriving about eighty per cent of the
injured workmen of compensation, and
incidentally stimulating malingering.
The new law provides the injured with
reasonable medical, surgical, and hospital
services and supplies; under the old law
no provision whatever was made for
medical or surgical aid. In case of death
the new act grants thirty-five per sent
of wages to a widow and an additional
ten per cent for each child, up to &c 2-3
per cent in all, to cease only when the
widow dies or remarries, or when the
child dies, marrIes, reaches the age of
eighteen, or, if over eighteen and in
capable of self-support, becomes capable
of self-support; the old act allowed full
wages for the shamefully brief period
OF one year. For total disability the act
allows &C 2-3 per cent of wages during
disability, against the old laws unwise
provision of 100 per cent OF wages for
one year only, and for partial disability
it allows &c 2-3 per cent of the loss of
earning power, whereas the old act ig-
nored this class of disabilities entirely.
Finally. for administration the new
law provides a Gnited States employees
compensation commission, consisting of
three members appointed by the presi-
dent. For the first year there is a total
appropriation OF SJjOOOO. In short, in
stead of offering to its injured employees
! and their dependents an amount more
I 'pititully and dsgracefully small" than
does any other civilized country, the
United States now stands out as a lead
cr in caring for the victims of personal
injuries in its service.
The drafting committee, of which Pro-
fessor Seager was chairman and of which
DIR. Rubinow and the writer were the
other members, secured the services of
and to him is due much credit for the
technical perfection and clear phrasing
OF the measure Even Senator Hoke
Smith, who has done much for and
against workmens compensation bills in
congress, paused to render this tribute:
IL regard it as one of the most admir-
ably prepared measures ever brought to
my attention. think it is about the
first bill OF any length l have ever read
to which amendments did not at once
occur to me-" During its passage thru
congress, the bill was indorsed by the
American Federation of Labor, the Cen
eral Federation OF Women's Clubs. and
numerous other national organizations,
including associations of government
employees.
The standards embodied in this meas
ure, now adopted by the national gov
ernment for its own half million en-
ployes and already met in several par
ticulars by such leading industrial states
as California Ohio, Massachusetts, New
York and Wisconsin for private en-
ployments, should be helpful in bringing
the inadequate compensation laws of
America up TO a level of justice to the
unnumbered thousands of men, women
and children who annually are maimed
disabled and killed in the socially neces-
sary pursuits of peace in our modern
industries.
The fight for good labor laws effect
ively enforced is never ended. But the
long struggle Tor adequate standards of
protection is worth while, and the sue
cess attending the campaign for the new
compensation law is highly encouraging
to those who will now have more free
dom and time to devote to health insur-
ance, the next big step in social legis-
lation. For this, too, much hard work
with patience is necessary-but not too
much patience