The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-01-29
WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION

employer pays substantial insurance premiums
each year to protect himself from his employee
Under the workmen's compensation plan the en-
ployer pays premiums, no larger, if large, to
protect his employee from himself. In the iabll-
ity scheme the employer pays his insurance and
leaves it to the liability company to fight it out
with the injured employee. Liability companies
being in business for profit naturally do their ut
most to pay AS little compensation as possible
Under the workmen's compensation plan the en-
ployer pays insurance to insure his employe pro-
lection, and the employer is just as anxious as
the employee himself to see that the latter receives
every penny he's entitled to, and penny or two
more if possible, because the employer has paid
out his good money for this very purpose and
he insists upon receiving full value for every dol
lar.
More friendly relations between employer and
employee; absolute certainty upon the part of the
employee who sustains an injury in the course OF
his occupation. unless such injury be due to drunk
enness or gross and criminal negligence upon his
part, that he will receive portion of his wages
during the period of his incapacity; that his hos
pital and medical bills will be paid, and that, should
death result those whom he leaves behind will
be protected, makes for sense of security and
sWorkmen's compensation is not new nor an
untried idea European countries recognized it's
virtues long after American courts continued to
cite court of England decisions as precedent for
ruling against injured employees under the fellow
servant doctrine, adopted ages ago, when only
two or three men worked together and each knew
the other and his failings, or under the theory
that any employee who accepted employment ac-
o1 OH ho choI 70
employment, or the idea that any accident which
might occur could be charged to the negligence
of the employee; and that the burden Of proof
should rest with him.
Workmen's compensation is just and right, and
it is far beyond the experimental stage There
is question as to the advisability Of permitting
the state to monopoze the insurance feature. In
many commonwealth this question is made op-
tiona with the employer, who may elect to insure
with the state, or with a mutual insurance COM
pany composed of employers in like industry,
or with an old-line stock insurance company or
who may, upon satisfying the workmen's compen-
sation commission Of his financial WORTH carry
his own risk" or undertake to set aside from
his own business such fund as will indemnify his
injured employees.
The Tribune furthermore, does not like the
this act Statistics prove that in states and coun-
tries which have kept careful records from IS
to SO per cent of all the serious injuries reported
are among farm laborers. In North Dakota it is
safe to say that 80 per cent of all the permanent
semi-total disability cases occur among farm
workers. In no other industry are there so many
lost fingers chopped off hands, wrenched off arms,
mangled legs and deformed backs as in agrcul-
%,,ro 70 L,,4
are human-and we must because so many of
us who are prosperous farmers today came to
North Dakota as hired hands, or in such capacity
accumulated our competency in other states
then we must accord them the same humane treat
ment that we are offering members of the Inter-
national Typographical union, among whom the
percentage of risk, as compared to farm labor, is
not as one to 1000; or to our paper-hangers, or
our painters, or our plasterers our machinists,
or our brick or stone masons. Aside from struc-
tural iron-workers of whom we probably have
not one hundred in all North Dakota there is
not another class Of laborers who daily and con-
stantly are subjected to such risks as are the
farm help.
Because the farming class in this state is so
large and because the average number Of employees
il 20 small, the individual burden would not be
great. This is farmer legislature; it is, also,
one which has boasted loudly Of its belief in the
brotherhood Of man, in equality, justice and right
Gentlemen, let US prove our words through
deeds, even though our pocketbook be touched,
somewhat.
"a hoist manufaehrer Of St. Paul has blessAt
~ 1T ail ane I'D Tor pleasure purposes. Any