El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-10
STATE INSURANCE OF WORKMEN
is MUCH NEEDED IN ARIZONA

RIZONA is the home Of much advanced legislation;
n Of It good, like the initiative and referendum
laws and bad ike the 80 percent and anti blacklist
laws the bad laws being one Of the weaknesses Of the
initiative.
Row another piece of advanced legislation bids fair
before the people and 1t viii receive wide discussion
before It to vote. II is amendment TO the
state constitution providing for state insurance Of Arizona
Worknen Pun details OF the proposed measure are not
available and discussion OF them necessarily must be re-
served for future time
But there is denying the fact that the amendment
has been created in response to very real demand For
insurance covering the Of company engaged IN the
development Of promising mineral IN Arizona,
s25 out Of every s1oo the payroll IS being paid
insurance company This 81 percent Of the total payroll
out Of the state and is gone forever so far as the
mining company and its employees and their families are
concerned unless Of them is killed disabled Then
small part Of the total sum collected each month comes
back
By the provisions Of the proposed amendment, COM
psuies individuals seeking insurance viii pay rate
lower than the insurance companies charge The pay
enrs doubtless VIII be enough within year 10 finance the
states insurance enterprise giving fund large enough
meet any probable death injury claims Within
dozen years the sum accumulated should have grown
large that the interest received from would much
than pay off the claims; would in fact considerable
Of money be turned each year the state
treasury, thereby reducing the tax rate Between the
present time and election day. some reliable person viii
take sheaf Of statistics and figure It all out showing
the probable annual payment Of Claims the total amount
10 Be collected in premiums and kept fund in invest
me1t and the Of interest derived from that
fund The total Of probable payments VIII be deducted
iron the total interest received and the difference viii
represent the amount available for paying the expense Of
administering the insurance department.
This is phase Of the project No less important
however is the fact that if it stipulated that all pre-
receipts must be invested in Arizona provided proper
security available, that provision would great
thing for state which always has been handicapped by
having almost too many good projects awaiting develop
ment and always too little capital to develop them
Ordinarily 1t Is good policy to hesitate long enough TO
investigate fully before endorsing any proposed legislation
which would the state to embark in competition with
private enterprises but the remarks here made made
1oT the purpose Of pointing out situation and the posi-
btes Arising out Of state insurance law and not Of
endorsing this particular until all its details
at hand Generally, bin is worthy Of endorsement If
drawn to be Of positive and lasting benefit to an
overwhelming majority OF the people whom 1t affects
Moreover there IS plenty Of national precedent for the
public body engaging business in competition with phi
yate enterprise the United States employment service BE-
ing striking example.