The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-01-17
Continued from Page One. J


tape methods that delayed unduly
the payment of compensation under
the industrial insurance act, had re-
suited in many cases of deplorable
distress and suffering among indus
trail accident victims, was the bur-
den of the complaint made by the
local first aid board members.
They also charged that physicians
working under contracts with large
employers, or for hospital associa-
tions having such contracts, in many
cases closed their eyes to the hui
manitarian side of the law and caus-
ed suffering and distress to injured
workingmen discharged from hospi
tails as convalescent, but still I'M
able to work and without funds.
The shortcomings of the law, they
pointed out, became particularly no
ticeabls in accident cases where the
victim was an itinerant worker, with
out home or friends, and without
funds. War work, they said, was
bringing to Seattle thousands of
strangers who might become victims
of accidents and suffer from lack of
care and attention, particularly in
view of the fact that Seattle's hos
pital Accommodations are already in
adequate to care for victims of in
dustrial accidents.
Accidents Increase
That there has been a marked in
crease in industrial accidents in Sc
attic in proportion to the number of
workers employed of late months,
due presumably to the neglect of the
rule of safety first" in the rush of
war work, was also brought to the
attention of federation officials.
Several recommendation for re-
forms in the law and for temporary
relief pending action by the Legisla-
ture were made. Among those were
the following:
That the state authorities be ask
ed to provide an emergency fund for
transfer of industrial insurance mon
cps or otherwise for the use of local
first aid boards in providing food
and shelter for homeless victims of
industrial accidents pending settle
ment of their claims for compensa-
ton under the industrial insurance
act; the local first aid boards being
now without legal authority to pro
vide such relief.
That the Legislature be asked tc
extend the jurisdiction of local first
aid boards to cover accident cases
in care of contract physicians, there
by giving the labor members of such
local first aid boards the right to in
sist upon adequate provision fol
homeless and friendless accident vic
tins.
Would Abolish Wait
Abolition of the eight-day waiting
period provision of the first aid law
which gives the victim of an indus
trial accident no compensation fol
an injury that keeps him from his
work no longer than week
Increase in the compensation
awards made by the industrial in,
surance law to correspond with the
increased cost of living, or the de-
creased purchasing power of money
at the present time.
Legislation to clothe members OF
local first aid boards with the pow
ers of deputy state labor commits
sioners in order that they may lie.
gally investigate accidents and limit
the number of preventable accidents
by insisting upon the installation OF
safety appliances and the enforce.
ment of safety rules
Legislation to prevent contractors
using poor and unsafe equipment.
Cause Physicians to Report
Framing of rules that would COM
pei physicians to make immediate re-
port of accident cases to local first
aid boards, and revision of the In
dustrial Insurance Commissions rules
to expedite the payment of compen.
| sation awards.
1t was pointed out by the labor
members of the local first aid boards
that the employers members of sew
eral of their boards had concurred
in these recommendation and that
many of the larger employers had
assured them of their support in a
campaign for radical revision of
the first aid law.
Cotterill made the suggestion that
statewide conference of Supreme
and Superior Court judges, members
of the Industrial Insurance Commits
sion, the State Medical Aid Board,
charitable organizations, physicians,
trade unionists and others interested
be called to consider revision of the
first aid law and the industrial in