The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-01-17
COMPENSATION
ACT SOON WILL |
BE INTRODUCED
Protection for Workers Who Are
Injured in Course of Occu-
patton Is Assured
NEW COMMISSION FORMED
Industrial Board Will Admins
ter Fund and Act as Court
in Liability
NEW COMMISSION FORMED

Now that the league has its owl
working program we'll under way, 1t Il
expected, in the next day or two to de
vote some time to the labor Legislation
which it has promised the trades
unionists of the state who so loyal!
supported the league in the recent eiec
ltion. Probably the first and most Inn
portant of the labor bills will be
| draft for a ,wOrkmen's compensation
net. This bill has already been befort
the league caucus, but it is not en-
tirely satisfactory to organized Iaro1
| in it's present form. The trades union
! lists had been promised that farm Ia
Ibor and domestic servants would bt
protected. hut the original draft made
no provision for them. This difficulty
NAV he threshed out in league caucus
before the bill comes into the Open
The league compensation act pro
yides for a commission OF three 01
which the commissioner Of agriculture
and labor shall be. chairman, with two
to be appointed by the
governor at salary of $500 per an
mum as co-laborers. The commits 4 or
is given secretary ut 1900 per an
|npm, This board will have the ad
mthistrattOn of 4 compensation fund
from which indemnities for death ol
personal injury incurred by employees
finythe aourse .pG their, oec1,patipn will
be paid: This fund will be bnht uI
through the payment Of premiums
kipo,iii TIE nairt of employees Eof labor
1.-THE amount OF whose premiums Will
depend upon the numt&f Of persons
employed and the extent of the. haz
ard. At first it is, probable that en-
ployment will be divided into three
classes - ordinary, hazardous and OK
ftra- hazardous 80
When q, worker, sustains persona
injury the amount Of his compensation
will be determined under the law by
the compensation commission. A fix
ed schedule of compensation for var
iOus losses is not adhered to so close.
lly in the North Dakota bill as in the
acts of some other staes The matter
is 4eft more generally to the discretion
of the commission. In cases Of TEN
porary total disability. such as the
loss Of finger, the, board is given
power to take into consideration not
only the age and earning power Of the
injured, but the extent to which the
injury incapacitates him for his par
ticular trade or occupation. The
board also has power to fix the prem
i,lm rate which employers shall ply
and to Increase this premium as &c.
casi0n demands Mor to reduce 1t when
the compensation fund has reached a
certain maximum.
The purpose of the act is to elimi.
nate litigation in personal injury
cases; to spare both employer and EN-
ployes attorneys fees and court hosts,
as well as the possible animpsities
which result from litigation, andstO in.
sure that every penny paid by the em-
.ployer as compensation will gOsto the
injured employe, Wages are 1.-The de-
'termining factor in fixing the rate Of
compensation in ordinary injury cases
involving only loss Of time, Of in case
of death. and the compensation act
will provide also for the Payment of
hospital and medical bills. The the.
ory Is that any industry should bear
the expense Of any risks anherent in
such inCnstrk