The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-07-13
CONFERENCES OF
ACCIDENT BOARDS
AND COMMISSIONS

The beneficial effects upon both
employers and employees resulting
from the practical operation of work
mems compensation laws in the va
rious States have become so general
ly recognized that there is little
| likelihood of return to the old
method of employers liability with
the attendant costly litigation, its
bad feeling thereby engendered. Thir-
ty-seven States, the territories of
Alaska and Hawaii, and the Federal
government now have workmen's
compensation laws. AS might be
expected, there is a lack of uni
formity in the legislation, and it
was thought desirable by some of
those charged with the duty OF adj
ministering these laws that an or
ganization should be formed for the
purpose of bringing together admin
istrative officials to discuss the in
depreciation of the laws and the
puzzling problems of administration
and to adopt, so far as possible, uni
form practices and statistics. Ac-
cordingly on April Ia and Is, 1914,
representatives from several newly
created industrial accident boards
and commissions met at Lansing,
Mich, and formed the National AS
sociation of Industrial Accident
Boards and Commissions.
AS a means of carrying out the
purposes of this association three
conferences have since been held.
The first, special meeting, was held
in Chicago January II and 13, 1915.
This meeting was devoted largely to
discussion of Standardization of
accident statistics.
At the second annual meeting,
held in Seattle, Wash, September
80 to October 2, 1915, the Province
of Ontario, Canada, was received as
member and the title of the as
sociation was changed to the Inter
national Association of Industrial
Accident Boards and Commissions
The most important action taken
at this second annual meeting was
the adoption Of the tentative report
of the Committee on Statistics and
Compensation Insurance Cost and
the continuance of this committee.
The third annual meeting was held
at Columbus, Ohio, April 25 to 2S,
1916. The proceedings of this meet
ing are published in full in Bulletin
210, just issued by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the U. S. De-
partment of Labor. Among the
resolutions adopted by the associa-
tion at this meeting was one re-
questing the Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics to publish from time to time
proceedings of the conventions and
conferences of the association. An
other most important action at the
Columbus meeting was the election
of the United States Commissioner
of Labor Statistics as secretary
treasurer of the association.
At this conference addresses of
timely interest were made covering
such subjects as the conflicts be-
tween Federal and State jurisdictions
in commerce cases, merit rating in
workmens compensation insurance,
the why and how of uniform indus
trial accident statistics for the Unit
ed States, the use of accident statis-
tics for accident prevention, educa-
tional work in accident prevention,
the theory and practice of compensa-
tion, comparison of the methods of
dealing with permanent partial dis
ability cases, Ohio's experience with
State insurance, the relation of work
mems compensation to old age, health
and unemployment insurance. AS
a part of the meeting the first ses-
sions of the newly organized medi-
cal section was held, and a safety
committee was organized to form the
nucleus of a proposed safety section,
later endorsed by the association, to
advance the promotion of accident
prevention.
Boston was selected as the place
for the next convention, to be held
during the third week in August,
1917.