Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-03-19

frankly accepted the credit for the gov
ernor's action, notwithstanding Its en-
tire bodily presence was shortly after
wards introduced as the law Of the
Montana commonwealth at its legisla-
ton following Idaho's famous Thir-
teenth, came in for special condemna-
ton and denunciation as being wholly
and completely unacceptable to labor
which had so declared in its conven-
/ ton. These men were fair, frank and
above board in their public utterances,
fighting for an ideal-an opening con-
1 fessedly leading TO ultimate state So
ciallsm: the act was to be compulsory,
the police power of the state invoked,
and contractual rights between employ
er and employee abolished.
ATTACK ON BATES BILL.
The launching OF this bill brought
representatives of the great major in
dustries of the state, the mines and
the numbering companies, to the capl-
tai, and violent attack was concen-
trated not only on the principles en-
bodied in the structure of the Bates
: bill, but also the alleged unscientiic
system of creating a solvent, permanent
fund for pensioning the injured and
the payment of death claims as set
forth in the measure, and they demand
ed that the large solvent industries in
which the great mines and timber in
terests would be included, be allowed
to insure their own risks-that Is, pay
compensation direct to the injured en-
ployes of dependents, without the in
PREVENTION of any state board, or any
go between whatever, except in cases OF
dispute, and to pay the compensation
according to fixed schedule to be
established which must also provide
for depositing acceptable securities in
sufficient amount with the state as
would safely and certainly secure ell
payments, Immediately and directly to
injured workmen for current disabili-
ties and would also insure the periodi-
cal payments accruing in future years
II. favor of widows, children or other
dependents of former employees.
| The proposed Bates system Of as
sessments levied by the state included
Capitalized reserve" intended to
meet these contingencies and under the
terms of the bill, all included employees
were combined in these and all other
provisions. The principle Of a state
monopoly fund was intact. no ease
ments or preferences, no self-i nsur-
ance or inter- insurance was admitted.
This principle was now the object OF
attack by the large employing indus
tries.
| An interested looker-on in the con-
test being waged, and working alone
for the moment on separate lines, but
wholly in sympathy with labor and its
fair demand for adequate relief when
injured at work, and reasonable COM
pensation to dependents in case of
| death by accident, Senator Rockwell
employed an expert legislative drafts
man, Ben Oppenheim, of Oppenheim &
Hodgln, attorneys Of this city, to draw
a bill after tho design and structure of
the model compensation bill recon-
mended by the American Bar associa-
ton, based on the report of the Ma
tional Civic association, collaborating
with the American Federation of Labor,
in their investigation during 1915-19l6
of workmen's compensation laws in all
the states of the union, and on whose
committee John Mitchell, the great la
Dor leader, sat and whose signature Is
with others appended to the report.
The model bill, when completed, in
view of the doubtful constitutionality
of the compulsory feature and pend
ing the decision OF the federal supreme
court, which happily was rendered be-
fore the contest was finally over, con-
tanned four elective features as to Sc
curing the compensation to workmen
This was afterwards derIsively called
the -four barrel plan by the opposl-
ton. It's schedule of benefits to in
jured workmen was the most liberal Of
any state in the Union except one; it's
method of administration specially de-
signed to promote economy and to cut
out n horde of deputies and inspect
ors, and 1t also made clear that it
should become self sustaining and thus
relieve the state Of any administrative
expense whatever, and all this without
inflicting any additional burden on the
, employer real invention" the zone
. significantly brilliant adjunct" to the
carefully worked model bill referred to,
, as the author stated 1t in debate in
the chamber, and this consisted SIM
ply in splitting in two parts the full
compensation awarded to any alien
workman or his dependents abroad,
and transferring one-half of the award
under the schedule, to the state admin
istration expense fund, which fund
would be further augmented by the
payment to it OF $1,000 by the en-
ployer or his surety for each death
: by accident of any employe without
known dependents. Forty eight such
accidents occurred under the Mon
tana law in its first year and would,
with similar provisions, have yielded
nearly twice the cost of administering
any paying out over 100000 to in
jured beneficiaries in that state. Rock
we'll claimed his bill contained every
thing that experience to date could de-
wise and warrant, and as precaution-
airy measure called n joint Republican
caucus about ten days after the intro
duction of the Bates measure in order
to secure caucus recognition of the
production of a compensation bill bas-
ed on principle utterly foreign to the
structre continued in the house Bates
Oh aefn IL