The Glasgow courier., 1916-02-11
the fund for a year or more.

has been paid out in compensation
and medical and hospital fees, in
cluding pending claims that have been
approved, $195, 5,709.95, or an average
of little less than $4,000 per month.
"The total number of employers
now operating under this act, through
the medium of all three plans, ag-
gregate 1886, employing 1856 en-
ployes. The total number of acci-
dents reported is 3614, of which SO
were fatal; one permanent total dis
ability; 3S permanent partial disabil-
ity; 3506 temporary total disability,
of which number 673 received COM
pensation and 2941 returned to work
before the expiration of the two
weeks waiting period and, as con-
sequence, received no compensation
other than the first aid medical and
hospital attention, provided by the
act. These figures show that one en-
ploye cut of every II met with some
kind of accident during the past seven
months.
"The law seems to be giving gen.
eral satisfaction, as the board is in
receipt Of complaints in only very
rare instances and upon investiga-
ton it is generally found that the
complaint was due to misunder-
ing of the law.
1t is possible that it is costing the
employers little more under the
compensation act than it did under the
old disability system, but all of the
large employers have advised the
board that the new plan is much more
satisfactory than the old method that
was employed, because the middle
man, or "ambulance chaser" is en-
tirely eliminated under the new order
of things and further that what they
pay out goes direct to their injured
employees, with the inevitable result
that a better feeling and closer re-
lationship has come into existence be-
tween the employer and the .employe.
The new order of things has resulted
in many economies, not the least of
which is the saving brought about in
the time Of the courts, which, under
the old order of things, devoted near
ly one-fourth of their time to liability
cases. In addition to the business as
pect of the proposition, the humani
tartan side is entitled to much con-
sideration. The actual records show
that the safety first habit" has TAX
en- firm hold all over the state, with
the inevitable result that the happen
ing of industrial accidents is rapidly
on the decline. This fact is amply
evidenced by the record under plan
three. The act provides for an ini-
tial assessment to be levied on all
employers. coming under the law, of
. one-fourth of the yearly payroll. This
. initial assessment representing three
months, is the only assessment levied
in the year that represents more
than one calendar month, all other
assessments being for only one month.
As provided by the law, this initial
assessment was made covering the
! months Of July, August and Septem-
. ber. Then no assessment was made
| for the months of October and No.
| vember, and only out of an abund-
ance of precaution was it deemed
proper and wise to levy one for the
month of December. The industrial
/ accident fund really did not require
it. This all indicates that the legis.
lature, basing their action on the ex-
perience of other states, operating
under the workmen's compensation
, laws, expected that the payment of
compensation would far exceed what
q the actual facts show since the law
went into effect. 1t is, of course, toe
, soon to prognosticate on the future
based upon the past. but it is certain
that the record which has been made
! since the law went into effect is the
f only thing that we have to go by
+ uncertain as it may be.
}, "The board has been particularly
S fortunate in not having any of its
e rulings appealed from, with the eX.
e ception of the two friendly cases
S brought in the name of Lewis anc
S Clark county, and in the name Of the
n city of Butte, to secure the interpre
i tation of the supreme court on two
f sections of the law that appeared te
t be susceptible of different construc
: tions. The Lewis and Clark county
I case was decided by the supreme cour,
January 27, by affirming the judg
ment of the district court, ordering