The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-12-07

dents lnQuSCflal MeuldIloh CoHiiHlo-
sion, of which Hon. William B. Will
son, Secretary of Labor in the Pres
ident's Cabinet, is chairman, arrived
in the State of Washington, Friday
afternoon of last week. The first
duty of Secretary Wilson, and the
members of the Commission, was to
pay an official visit to Governor Lis
ter. The Commission spent two
and one-half hours in conference
with the Governor who carefully
went into all of the details of the
different labor disturbances in the
state. The Governor expressed to
the Commission a desire to see the
telephone strike settled upon an
amicable and just basis. He also
went into the lumber situation at
great length realizing that if the
Northwest is to do it's full duty by
the country during the period of the
war that the lumber industry must
be placed upon a bisis of fullest ac-
tivity. He is of the opinion, as he
was during the eight-hour strike of
last summer, at which time he is
sued a proclamation in which he took
a firm stand for the eight-hour day,
that if the employers and the en-
ployees of the different industries
can be brought together in some
way under which the shorter work
day can be granted and some better
ments made in the way of camp SAN
itation and comforts that there
would no longer exist those condi
tions which have enabled the |. w.
w to keep up their campaign of
agitation and disturbance
Secretary Wilson expressed him
self as being deeply impressed with
the information which was given
him by the Governor and it is to be
hoped that the efforts of the Presi-
dents Mediation Commission during
it's proposed two weeks stay in the
State of Washington will be fruitful
of results and that the industries
of the State may be able to resume
their activities under full operation
with industrial peace firmly estab-
lished
Members of this Commission pres
ent at this time were Colonel Span
gler of Pennsylvania, coal mine
operator who was the first man to
sign up a union agreement with the
United Coal Mine Workers of Amer
lea, when William B. Wilson was
secretary of the National Union, II
years ago; Frank Walker, President
of the Illinois State Federation
of Labor, and Felix Frankfeurter,
attorney for the Commission.
Reason for WOrkmen's Compensation
Act
One of the prime reasons for the
enactment of the Washington Work
mems Compensation Act was to es-
tablsh machinery by which work
men injured in hazardous industry
of the State might be promptly COM
pensated for their losses without
the necessity of resorting to expen-
sive litigation. Except in cases
where a claimant is dissatisfied with
the sward made by the Commission
and desires to appeal his case there
is an occasional lawyer who prays
upon the unfortunate men who are
victims of accidents to the extent
of preparing lengthy and unneces-
sary affidavits and other legal docu-
ments to introduce in the case. Such
an instance came to the attention
of the Industrial Insurance Commits
sion this week. All of the reports
and other necessary documents made
out on the forms required by the
Commission for this claimant to
prove his case were already on file
in the office of the Commission
and the mans case had progressed
to point where he was ready to
be called before the Commission or
an adjuster for an examination and
a final award in his case The
lengthy affidavits and other matter
prepared by the attorney had moth
ing to do with the proof already in
the hands of the Commission. The
claimant in this case has undoubted-
ly been stung for a considerable at
torney's fee and the documents pre-
pared are of no value to him what
ever.
Workmen everywhere coming un-
der the provisions of this Act should
be warned that the regular form of
reports required from the injured
workman and from his employer and
his doctor are the things that are
necessary to establish his claim
before the Commission and that
when he engages the services of
lawvar he is going to an unneceg-