The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-07-11
$4,000 HEADS
OF FC0NCERNST0
BUILD UP FUND
Workmen's Compensation Bu-
reau Expects Contributions
From Large Number
HAS MUCH POWER
Employers Cannot Appeal From
Its Findings, But Claimant
May Go to Court
BOARD HAS MUCH POWER

Tn1rty-rlV0 thousand NOrtn UakOLd
employers, exclusive of farmers who
are placed in privileged class which
is exempted, are expected to have
paid into the North Dakota work
mems compensation fund by the end
of this month annual premiums rang
ing from few cents for each hundred
dollars of their payroll to $l1 or more
per hundred. Individual premium
payments may be as little as IS and
they will run as high as $4,000. Some
comparatively small establishments.
such as meat markets, which appear
to the layman to rank relatively low
in point of hazard, will, it is claimed,
pay 500 or more per annum into the
compensation fund. while public
utility company, such as the Hughes
Electric Co. of Bismarck, a majority
of whose employees are held to be in
occupations will pay
81, 900 per annum for the protection
of these employees. An employer may
not have a single accident in his own
plant, but he will pay the premium
for the state insurance
plan is mutual, and everyone except
the farmer, who employs labor is re-
Quired to bear snare of the bur-
den.
: L. D. Richardson of Fargo, general
of the North Dakota Inde.
pendent Telephone Co., visited the
compensation bureau yesterday to
discover the form of report which
will be required from this company.
The North Dakota Independent haa
1865 employees who will be covered by
this act. Other employers, are en-
deavoring to learn what is expected
of them. The department appears to
be swamped, and it complains of In
ability to obtain necessary clerical
help.
The act requires that every employ
er subject to this act shall contribute
to the w0rkmen's compensation eund
in proportion to the annual expendi-
ture of money by such employer for
the service of persons subject to the
act. The bureau has employed at ST.
800 per month an expert" to determ-
inc what rate shall be applied to the
various classes Of employment. There
are about 1000 separate classified
tions, said Commissioner S. S. Nc
Donald, the labor member of the bu-
reau, today.
The act covers all employees of the
state and all it's political sub-divis-
ions; OF all public and quasi-public
Hazardous employ
ment' is classified under the act as
ANY employment in which one or
more employees are regularly employ
ed in the same business, or in or
about the same establishment, except
any common carrier, by steam.
From premiums paid by employers
at a rate arbitrarily fixed by the
workmen's compensation bureau, all
claims for injury are to he paid; ex-
penses of the commission are to be
betrayed, and surplus of $50,O0O is
to be set aside. If an employer de-
faults in any payments to the fund,
it is made the duty of the attorney
general to bring civil action to COL
lect the amount in default. Employ
ers in good standing with the bureau
cannot be held liable to respond in
damages in any common low action
brought by an injured employee. If an
fails to comply, he is sub.
jected to heavy penalties in the form
Of fines, and should an injured en-
ploye bring action for damages. the
cannot defend himself of
the fellow servant doctrine, the theory
of assumption of risk, or of contribu-
tory negligence.
The bureau is given full power and
to hear and determine all
questions within it's jurisdiction, af-
fecting claims for personal injuries,
so far as the employer is concerned.
But if the employe is dissatisfied, he
has 80 days in which to appeal to the
district court, in which the compensa-
ton bureau shall be represented by
the states attorney