Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-09-22
PROVISIONS Of NEW
WORKMAN'S LAW
Benefits to Injured Are Increased
Ten Per Cent by
Changes.
EMPLOYERS PAY FOR BURIAL
Compensation Recoverable in Cases Of
Total Disability Is Materially In
creased Farmers Not
Subject to Law.

Madison.-The provisions of the new
wOrkmens compensation law passed
by the last legislature have gone into
effect and apply to all industrial ac-
cidents. that occur in Wisconsin. The
new law materially increases the
benefits to injured workmen; the in
crease having been estimated by the
legislative committee which reported
the measure as approximately 10 per
cent.
The most important items in this
increase are the notifications in the
schedule of fixed benefits, which mate
rally lengthen periods of disability
for all specific injuries involving am
putatiOnS.
The new law also increases the
compensation recoverable in cases OF
permanent total disability to workmen
in the prime of life. Hitherto indem-
nifty for permanent total disability has
been limited to six times the annual
wage, regardless of the age of the in
jured workman. Hereafter, the maxi
y
thirty-two years of age may recover,
if they are permanently totally dis
abled, is a fraction less than ten times
the annual wage, which sum is reduced
in accordance with a regular schedule
for workmen totally disabled later In
life.
Employer Pays for Burial.
Another provision in the new law,
increasing the compensation benefits,
is that which requires the employer to
pay burial expenses not to exceed $lOO
in all death cases. The law also lib
eralizes the provision regarding med
zeal aid permitting the Industrial COM
mission to extend medical aid beyond
80 days after the injury, where such
an arrangement is expected to result
in shortening of the period OF dis
ability.
Still another provision of the new
act gives increased compensation in
cases of multiple injuries; where
workmen sustain more than one
specific injury in single accident, as
when several fingers are cut off. In
such cases the compensation hereafter
will not be merely the sum of the
compensation due for each injury, but
also an additional amount for the null
tiple character of the injury.
Farmers Not Subject to Law.
AS heretofore, however, farmers are
not subject to the act unless they
specifically accept it's provisions. The
same arrangement is also made, in the
new law as regards policemen and
fremen.
A further provision extending the
scope of the compensation act is that
which provides that all subordinate
officers of the state and its political
subdivisions are to be covered by its
terms, as well as all other employees
who have hitherto been subject to the
law.
A new feature is introduced by the
provision that triple compensation
shall be paid to children of permit age
who are injured while working with
out child labor permits, or while en-
gagged at prohibited employments.
Good Small Grain Yield.
Small grains are showing yields fully
up to or greater than the estimates
made during the growing season, &C.
cording to the joint crop report issued
at Madison. The potato crop continues
to improve, especially in the large po-
tato-growing counties in the central
part of the state. No damage from
late blight is yet reported, but frost
has injured the vines in some of the
northern counties, while drought in the
territory south of Madison will ,curtail
yields.
The corn crop is not in satisfactory
condition, being from two to three
weeks late. A large percentage of the
crop is in danger of being injured by
frost before maturity. While consider
able corn in southern Wisconsin is COM
mencing to ripen, it will require three
weeks of favorable weather without
killing frosts to insure an average crop
for the state as whole.