The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1917-02-22
NORKME:N'S
LAW AIDED
THOUSANDS
Industrial Board Has Com
piled the First Annual
Report 6,176 Accidents
Reported Benefits, $744, :
433.
TIMES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPITAL


first annual report of the Industrial
board of Indiana has been compiled.
The Indiana workmen's compensation
act became effective in all its features
September /. 1915. and the report Just
completed is an analysis Of all cases
reported and acted on by the board to
September 1, 1916.
The report shows that the total num-
bor Of accidents reported to the board
during the first year Of the operation OF
the law was 36176. OF these 268 re-
suited in death. and $50 resulted in the
dismemberm of some part Of the
body of the injured person.
Insurance Against Accidents.
on September /. 1915. $1,000 employ
ers Of labor in the state were operating
under the Indiana workmen's compensa-
tion law. having accepted its provisions,
and having provided themselves with
insurance against accidents to their en-
ployes or obtained the permission Of the
board to carry their own risks without
insurance. Only All permissions to
carry risks without insurance were
granted during the year. and these were
granted only where 1t was demonstrated
to the satisfaction of the members OF
the board that the interests of the EN-
ployes would not be jeopardized.
over against the $4,000 employers OF
the state who have elected to operate
under the workmen's compensation act
stand 3.125 employers. according to the
report. who have rejected the act.
The total compensation benefits for
injuries to employees during the first
year of tho operation Of the law, paid
and to be paid ultimately because Of
liability fixed and determined. amounted
TO $744.43328. exclusive of the benefits
of surgical attention. medical supplies
and hospital services, supplied free OF
cost to injured employees The cost OF
medical aid given during the year is
estimated by the board at s150.000-
Disposed of 524 Contested Cases.
During the year" the report reads.
the board tried and disposed of 524
contested cases. The law requires that
contested cases shall be tried in the
county in which the accident occurs.
This made necessary considerable
travelling by members of the the board
over the ninety-two counties Of the
state. 1t is interesting to note that
contests were filed i'm only IA per cent.
of the accident cases reported to the
board
Classification Of Accidents.
Tho report of the board includes The
record Of each case, tabulated under in-
dexed heads and subheads.
The accidents reported 90 tho board
included everything from the slightest
scratches 70 the most serious injuries
Th6 report summarizes a few Of its
outstanding features as follows
THE railroad Industry reported the
largest number of accidents during the
year. with q total of 3.602
THE automobile industry was next
with a total of 2.76S accidents.
THE iron and steel industry was
third. with a total Of 2.639
Average Rate Of Wages.
THE total number of eve injuries was
$50.
THE average rate Of wages in the 36.-
176 cases reported was s143a with tho
highest wage paid. $3.50 4 week. and the
lowest 81 "a week The number at in-
iured persons receiving wages of Sl2
week was AM the number recetv ne
S11 week was 341S: the number re-
eeiving SIS a week was 925s These
figures represent the predominating
rates Of wages among the employees who
were injured during the year through
cut the state. The number of injuries
where higher wages were paid was
much smaller
More than one-third of the accidents
reported to the board occurred to per-
sons between the ages Of twenty ana
thirty.
Duration of Disability.
The duration of disability was less
than fourteen days in 7s.2 per cent OF
the cases reported, and only in % per
cent. of the cases reported was the
duration of the disability greater than
twenty-eight days"
Average Rate of Compensation.
The average rate OF compensation for
permanent partial disability was at the
rate Of S7.34 q week. other averages
ranged from $3.50 a week to 20 a
week with q fraction eff pen cent. ~
the injured persons reported receiving
wages in full
The members of the industrial board
of Indiana are Edgar a. Perkins
Charles r.. Hughes and Samuel r. Art
man. Howe S. Landers Is secretary of
the hoard