Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-07-18


also provides that towns and villages
not served by the trunk line system
should receive in proportion to their
valuation the other half of the state
aid funds, but that the place Of ex-
penditure in each town and village
should be selected by the county
board. This law, together with the
trunk line law, provides for greater
concentration of expenditures for the
Lext two or three years on the main
lines of travel and at the same time
inSureS that every town and village
will get fair deal by getting less i'm
portant roads improved if they do not
happen to be directly benefited by i'm
provements upon the state trunk line
system.
'In addition the laws providing for
bonding counties for state aid high
way construction were simplified and
improved, and while no great activity
is anticipated in the bonding of coun-
ties during the present war conditions,
there will be great activity when CON
ditions resume the normal
''Bill 590-A was also passed. This
provides that cities of all classes may
receive aid on streets and roads lying
in the outlying portions of them
Some minor changes were made In
the common road laws of the state,
but none of Importance or far-reach-
ing effect. In general, the legislature
confined itself to the problems OF Sc
curing the Improvement of the main
lines of travel, and it is believed that
wonderful results were accomplished
especially in improving conditions as
to maintenance"
During the session of the legislature
that has just closed a number OF very
important changes were made IN the
labor laws of Wisconsin. FOREMOST
among these is the amendment OF the
workmen's compensation law.
There is scarcely section Oh the
CONDENSATION act which was hoI
changed. The net effect of the changes
made is to liberalize the law ana TO
increase the benefits to injured work
men. The maximum wage basis anu
the percentage of compensation were
not altered. but additional compensa-
ton is given for all the more serious
| injuries. For instance, the ola Id"
| limited the compensation payaDie 10
workman permanently totally dlsapleu
! to six times his annual wage. OhueI
| the new law a workman so injured re-
| ceives compensation for 10 years.
Again. the act provides that workneh
who sustain multiple injuries, as, LOT
! instance, when several fingers are cut
| off, shall receive not merely the COLI
pensation payable for each separate
injury. but something additional pc
cause of the more serious character of
the accident which they sustained
Saves Unreasonable Delay.
The new law also makes important
! administrative changes in the compeh-
sation act. One of the provisions along
this line provides that where employ
ers unreasonably delay the payment OF
compensation, they shall be llaole 10
10 per cent penalty. Another Prov
sion limits the fees which attorneys
NAV charge in compensation cases 10
10 per ce1k of the amount recovered
bv the injured wOrkmen, and not more
than 500. unless the industrial com
mission finds that higher charge was
justified. The law also provides that
i'm cases where miners are employed
without permits or at prohibited en-
ployments the compensation when can
be recovered shall be trebled.
noteworthy feature of the new
CONDENSATION law is that these amend
| ments were adopted practically WIN
out opposition. Not vote was cast
against the bill in the state senate, ana
only three in the assembly. rms
unanimity was secured through the ac-
tion of the industrial commission IN IN
wiling representatives of manutactur-
ers' associations and of trade unions
throughout the state to conference
upon the proposed amendments. The
! bill drawn was accepted as a compro-
mise by both these interests, and hence
was accepted without contest.
Insurance Board Created.
Another important labor measure of
[ the present S6SSlOH was thC DAii NANN~N
ing a workmen's compensation lnsur-
/ ance board to be composed OF one
member of the industrial commission,
the insurance commissioner and thlrd
member appointed by the governor.
This board is charged with the regula-
ton of workmen's compensation 1nsur-
ance rates and classifications. 1t is
one of the first boards of the kind in
the country and is designed to prevent
| discrimination between employers In
] their compensation insurance rates.
| Another bill along the same line in
| creases the reserve which companies
writing workmen's compensation insur-
ance must carry, and still another Dill
provides for stricter regulation OF In
ter insurance contracts and exchanges
| All +boco hills are designed to protect