Evening star., 1916-05-07

vast army Of civil
Government workers OF the govern
m ment as well. are keen
A1' ly interested In the
fate in Congress Of the McGilli-
cuddy workmen's compensation bill for
federal employees, which is intended
to take the place Of the present most
unsatisfactory statute on the subject.
| The existing law provides after q
fashion for only a few Of the govern
ment workers who may be injured in
performing their duties. Students of
social needs are practically unanimous
in denominating 1t one Of the worst
| compensation laws in existence in the
country, or, for that matter, in the
world. Practically every country
which has recognized at all the need
for compensation has placed on its
statute books laws that are much more
liberal and that are framed with much
and social needs than the law now in
force for employees of the United States.
TO begin with. the existing law is
looked upon by government employees
about $4,000 Of the approximately 400.-
900 members of the various depart
| mental and other civil service forces.
| The plan has been to restrict COM
ardous government employments such
as navy yards, arsenals, railway mail
service. Panama canal and the like.
| II clerical employe has received in
they may be. the law has been of no
| benefit to him. One result has been
| that practically every such case has
been presented to Congress as spe--
cial claim, adjustment being secured
at much greater expense than would
be the case under a compensation act.
Another complaint against the pres
ent system is that its compensation is
not on an equitable basis or one which
meets social needs. In case of injury
| the injured employe is given his full
salary for the period of disability II
| this does not exceed a year. At the
end of year all compensation stops
even though the disability be serious
enough to last for life. On immedi-
ate death due to injury while on duty
one years salary Is given to the widow.
usually in a lump sum, and the govern
ment in whose employ the breadwinner
was killed then washes it's hands of
the affair.
Ten states of the Union and Hawaii
have surpassed the United States gov
ernment in the enactment of liberal
lie as we'll as every private employe.
and many of the other commonwealths
have compensation statutes that,
though excepting certain relatively
high -salaried public officials provide
more literally for their public serv-
Outside our own country. in practical
ly every state of Europe. Canada and
Australia. compensation acts are In
force which apply to all civilian en-
acts would apply If the employer were
a private person.
Most of these contrasts have ex-
isted for many years and have grown
steadily more marked with the rapid
development in compensation legisla-
tion that has affected most of the gov
ernments of the world but our own.
During the last few years the Ameri-
can Association for Labor Legislation
has been particularly active in seek
provisions for its workers abreast of
those of other civilized countries. This
agency. with others interested in the
welfare of government employees. is
actfvely pushing the pending McGf1li-
cuddy bill. the enactment of which.
MANY government offlcials believe.
would bring the United States forward
from last place in compensation mat
ters and make 1t in many ways model
for the states and other governments.
The pending bill would not draw any
distinction between federal employees,
but would make every one of them ell
gible for compensation In case of in
jury. and would make provision for the
dependent families of each in case OF
accidental death while on duty. It
would not give injured workers full
salary at any period. A compensation
Of two-thirds the salary would he CIV
en- to every injured employe disabled
for three DAYS or more. and this would
last through actual disability. the ag-
gregate compensation. however. being
limited to between a minimum of $685.
and $88.67 a month. In case of death
the widow would receive 35 per cent Of
the husbands salary until remarriage
or death, and a contribution of 10 per
cent of the salary would be allowed
for each child under self-supporting
age.
AS originally drafted. it is held by
many government employees to whom
the bill applies, the measure was still
more nearly model one. In COM
mittee. however. several provisions
have been removed. One of these.
that is considered exceedingly inn
commission to study the causes of
accidents and occupational diseases in
the government service. and to make
recommendations as to the hest means
of prevention. Another provision elm
mated placed restrictions on the en-
forcement Of claims by attorneys for
securing compensation under the act
for those entitled to receive it.
Altogether. however, the proposed
compensation act for government en-
ployes is looked on by those who will
receive Its protection as a most urgent
Ily needed improvement over the pres
ent law. Because of the payment of
only two-thirds Of the salaries, the
placing of a maximum limit of s6667
on monthly payments, and the fact that
accidents in the clerical forces are
very infrequent 1t Is estimated that
the outlay for four or five years at
least will not be greater than at pres
ent.
To accuse an architect or builder Of
putting up patchwork" structure is
about as great an insult as
Tasfino can be offered to his pro-
fessional ability. Uncle
otucco. Sam, however, has deliber-
ately constructed a building at his bu-
reau of standards in Washington that
probably holds the record for variety
| in a single edihce. The purpose Of
| the hodge-podge house is to solve for
the builders of the country the many
problems encountered in stucco con-
struction.
From Maine to California the vogue
| of the stucco house has increased tre-
mendously in recent years. SO that IT Is
now one Of the most popular building
materials in use. In spite OF the fact.