Denver labor bulletin., 1916-06-10

Editors Note.-Mr NcEwen, author OF
this article, was for several years labor
commissioner of Minnesota and is now
postmaster of Duluth. He is an author
ity on labor legislation and points out
the necessity for state insurance to make
workmen's compensation laws effective.
Colorado workers are especially inter.
ested in state insurance. This is the first
OF series of articles The Bulletin will
publish on the subject.
Organized labor IN Minnesota is begin
ming an aggressive campaign for state
insurance. WorkinCmen ask that the
present compensation act be repealed and
in lieu thereof that the state create and
administer n fund for the purpose OF
c0mpensating all worIingmen who may
become injured at their occupations.
This fund is to be raised by levying
specific tax on industry, the rate there
OF to be based upon the hazard Of each
occupation. Every dollar then paid by
employers of labor for insurance will
find its way into the pockets of injured
workingmen who lose their lives at their
work
BY such = plan il is believed the COM
pensation will be adequate to sufficiently
and justly pay for all accidents without
imposing too great a hardship upon in
dustry. The cost of administration, it is
proposed, will be paid by general taxation
from the saving to be effected by remov
ing from the courts the handling of ar
cident cases.
Private Companies Reap Harvest.
II organized labor can succeed in in
ducing the legislature to pass a state In
surance bill it will mean the end of en-
ployers liability companies in Minnesota,
and with them will go the claim agent,
the one remaining evil in the accident |
business
Since workingmen's compensation be-
came effective in Minnesota private COM
panies have been reaping bountiful harv-
ests For under il. as under employers
liability. the claim agents play for the
last dollar that an injured workingman /
is willing to give to get settlement of
his claim. The insurance companies, il
seems. never will learn. Their desire for
profits at the expense of injured work /
men will sooner or later bring about their /
undoing Their departure from Mime
sofa now is but matter Of time.
State Should Provide Insurance.
And why should not the state insure
its workers. Such a plan would serve
a double purpose. Injured workingmen
and dependents of deceased workingmen
would be paid just compensation and the
state would be more interested in enforc-
ing safety regulations.
The state by direct taxation. is now
caring for 10000 of its "crippled" popula-
tion in its numerous institutions. II is
costing the people S2,53s.ooo a year to
care for its insane, feeble minded, deaf,
inebriates consumptives, blind, prison in
mates and incorrigible. INDECENT and Grip
pied children. The state has invested
and corrective institutions. all of which
arc under the supervision of the state
board of control.
Profit on Crushed and Mangled.
The same principle that warrants the
state in caring for its mental and phys
ical unfortunates and for its criminals
and economical system to care for the
thousands of men and women who are
annually crippled while producing the
wealth of the state.
This is form of paternalism to which
every patriotic citizen can subscribe. Only
those interested in financially profiting
by the crushed bones and mangled bodies
of working men and women are on the
other side. These financial interests
should be of less consideration to the
people than n Just provision for the care
and treatment OF injured workingmen
and women.
Employers liability companies came
into existence under a law and n condi- |
tion which now does not exist. Employ.
ers' liability is numbered among the
things of the past. When it was stricken
from our law it should have taken the
employers liability companies with it.
Exploiters Of the Unfortunate.
The companies have not invested in
any property in the state They are
merely exploiting an unfortunate situa-
tion that is bound to arise where men
and women are employed, for no matter