The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-17
REPORT INJURY
 T046,935 MEN
 IN SNAPSHOTS
Complete Compensation Re port With Payment of Nearly Half a Mil
 lion Dollars.

The compensation commissioners
 have submitted to the governor their
 third annual report, covering the year
 1s16 The work of the five offices has
 grown fast, on account of the great
 industrial activity.
 There were reported 46,935 acci-
 dents which presumably disabled the
 injured for a day or more. There
 have been 9,756 voluntary agreements
 by the commissioners and 552 awards
 have been made. The money ex-
 pended by self insurers in 1916 up
 to November 1 for direct indemnity
 payments to injured workmen, or de-
 pendents of those killed in the course
 of employment, was $379,811.72. In the same period twenty-four compen-
 sation to injured workmen, or depen-
 dents of dead workmen and for. medi-
 cal services $939, ,620.63, making a to- tai of $1,319.432.35. The correspond
 ing period of the year before was
 $775,165.33.
 Connecticut, alone, among the states provides for necessary medical, surgi- cal. hospital and incidental services without limit.
 The commission desires eighteen amendments made to the law.
 An important suggestion. deals with an insurance company insuring an employers liability which may be con- ducting business improperly and de- sires the commission to notify the in- surance commissioner, who shall then have a hearing. The compensation commissioners say that insurance companies are of varying degrees of excellence/and the opposite and some are negligent and that the amendment would correct negligence.
 Another proposed amendment deals with fees to be paid by the employer or the insurer and not by the em- ployee and gives to the commissioner power to award directly in favor of the person entitled, which award shall be filed in court and shall be enforci- ble by execution The act now al- lows the commissioners to approve medical, surgical and hospital fees, but provides no method by which one whose fees are approved can get his money. The superior court has ruled 1 that, as person thus entitled, is not a party to the controversy, no execu- tion can run in his behalf.
 Still another amendment deals with the number of employees regularly employed by an individual. It wishes the employees in partnership of which he is member to be included or not to be included; one way or the other.
 Yet another amendment has to do with a contract of. employment made without the state. It would provide that when an employee in such case comes before the commission the act shall become a part of the contract of employment, provided that if an injured employee, or, in case his in- juries are fatal, his dependents, shall elect to proceed under sthe laws of the state in which the contract was made, such choice shall be bar to the prosecution of any claim in this state The case of Douthwaite against | Champ1in is before the supreme court and involves this matter. If the de- cision should be adverse to the right | of compensation it would probably in dicate serious defect in the law. It | is to meet that contingency that the is devised.
 A proposed amendment deals with a digest. It would provide, that the may collect the decfs- ions of the commissioners and also de- cisions of the superior court on ap- peal and decisions or references to de- cisions of the supreme court on appeal and may publish 2,500 copies as fol- lows: For distribution to the com 700 copies; to state li- brarian, 300 copies; and to the secre tary of the state, for sale by him, l. 500 copies. It would appropriate s2,00O for this.
 The amendment dealing with the of payments under agreement provides that the employ CT shall notify the commissioner and the employee of such, with the date of the discontinuance and the reason, and until notices are sent the liability for payments shall continue, unless ordered by the commission er Ordinarily the employee gets we'll and the employer pays him to that time. In some eases the em- p1oyer, acting as judge and jury, cuts off compensation without previous mo- tice This amendment puts the sit uation squarely to the adverse party. A penalty is imposed for failure to give notice, but in the natural cuorse of things there may be accidental fail- ure to notify and the commissioner has power to direct that payments need not be continued
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