The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-08
States System of Industrial In
surance Has Had It's Success
Increased by Operation.
NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS
GREATLY DECREASED
Injured Men No Longer Retard
Their Recovery by Excessive
Drinking; They Are Not
Found in Saloons Now as
Formerly.

Spokane, Wash, Nov. 7.-washing-
ton States Industrial insurance
system. State administered. has been
considered since its inception as
striking and successful example Of So
cial justice. and In the opinion of the
men who are now in charge OF its
operations, prohibition ia increasing
its success.
The law went into effect in 1911.
and four years Of experience was had
with 1t under the wet regime It has
now had eight months OF prohibition
You don't need to come here to
find that lumber and logging opera
tons have been much expanded dur
ing the present year" said A G. An
derson, assistant commissioner in
charge Of the Eastern Washington al
vision. nor to be told that mining
operations and factory production
like that in the paper mill out in the
valley have been on an increased
scale. I can hardly make an esu-
mate, because our accounts run to
fiscal year ending and are handled by
the Statistical Department but there
number OF workmen and working
plants. fifteen per cent or perhaps
more.
"Unouesttonablv there has been
decrease in the number Of accidents
for the last eight months, My ssti-
mate is rough, but I have placed the
decrease of about twenty per cent.
That percentage can't be absolutely
established until statistical reports are
com pleted
However. there are some features
in which the absence Of LIQUOR has
worked a remarkable imorovetnenr-
For instance. what we call the 'dura-
ton Of accidents Is the time during
which an injured man draws COM
pensation while recovering from an
injury Lack of booze shortens this
period greatly
Alcohol Complexities Injuries
Tn the hrst place, injuries from
which man In good physical condt-
ton would recover quickly are often
complicated and the time Of recovery
len gthened for a workman who Is an
alcoholic. In a large number Of cases
We can note a great decrease IN the
time that 1t takes before payments out
of the insurance can be adoptad and
the man sent back to work
Another factor Is that good many
covery by drinking heavily They
were idle. perhaps oonvalescent. and
the saloon was open. 7 used to watch
this especially with this floating class
of laborers, to whom Spokane fs
sort OF Mecca.
Wed always had to 60 through
the saloons to find them. Sometimes
when we got proof on a man. we
would stop his insurance. but though
one would positively know. and the
medical officer would report. that a
man was aggravating his physical in
juries by the use Of too much liquor,
| that step couldn't be taken often. They
get some vet, under the permit system,
but not enough to hurt. Our funds
will all come out this year in good
| shape. I think. and in these specific
instances, it can be seen where prohi-
bition has helped.
Helpful effects Of prohibition in
the reduction Of accidents are a GER
tainty even though percentase state
ments can't be given now. A large
number Of accidents were directly due
to drunkenness or to hang-overs. Men
working around machinery or on con-
struction would have their faculties
dulled Just a. bit by liquor and then
they landed themselves or someone
else in the hospital.
Some few men went on the Job
with a bottle on the hip. and there
were always ready sources Of supply
TO keep up the practice Now they
can't get enough. We know that ac-
ctdents due to these things have been
almost eliminated in the last year
These are benefits reflected to en-
ployers and to workmen alike. In real
money, Naturally, the State comes
out better in its collection and distri-
! button of the insurance"
! Mr.. Anderson's statements are borne
out by those of abservant individual
employers, but have the advantage of
| covering the whole field
Along with the same subject rne
/ largest industrial field near Spokane
is the Couer d'Alene Mining District,
which is also under prohibition The
mine owners association there ac-
cording to men identified with the ope-
rations, also has noted q large de-
crease In the number of accidents this
year compared to last year, and have
ascrihed- it -tn-the- bah-on drinking
This is declared to be true in spite of
the fact that the closeness to the Mon
tana line has prevented a thorough
| enforcement of the law.