Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-01

z, necessary data in support of the
| same that the subject may be in
telligently presented and widely dis
| cuSSed.
I'VE desire further to make it
| perfectly clean that this proposed
bill, as far as schedules are con-
cerned, while it may represent the
individual thought of the drafters as
| to an adequate and just bill, based
upon a study of Pennsylvania's con-
| ditions and the precedents establish
| ed in neighboring states, neverthe-
| less they are not our official acts nor
must they be considered as sugges-
| tions of the administration. From
the moment that this conference is
open, the board will not participate
| in it's deliberation, as an advocate
of any schedule, but will stand
| ready to furnish any further infor-
nation which we may have.
Procedure Act
"As to Article Ave have drawn
what we consider an admirable pro-
cedure act, based upon our expert
ence in the administration of the
act of 1915 and in accordance with
the suggestions contained in many
| opinions of the courts of Pennsylva-
mia. Our effort has been to produce
an elastic, nontechnical and under
standable method of administering
d ldWs we lcS1 IIldL
there is little room for argument
over the wisdom of the various pro-
visions of this article and as to the
same, the board will assume the re-
sponsibiMty of being their sponsor.
We suggest that copies of this act
: be distributed to all the interests
present and that further eXplana-
ton of each section be made now
and that opportunity be afforded to
a 9 fn N
and effect of any provision in the
bill, and when this information has
been acquired, that this meeting be
adjourned for one week so that
representatives of the employers
may have an opportunity to confer
and to become advised as to how far
Rthey can go to meet the demands
of the representatives of the en-
ployes."
"Society's neglect of the industrial
cripple is in no degree compatible with
the pretentions of our civilization"
said Mr.. Mackey. Notwithstanding
that the wheels of industry have for
years been turning out their annual
quota of human cripples it required
the patriotic impulses incident TO a
great war to focus public attention
upon the subject of rehabilitation and
to visualize the possibilities of the res
toration of functional ability. The
Board for some time had been in a
small way endeavoring to teach the
lesson that victory over handicap is
mans greatest conquest. The time has
arrived, however, when i. is impera-
lively necessary that the State should
render assistance to those who in their
intensive occupations have suffered such
injury that they are no longer able to
prosecute their old occupations. This
liability should not fall upon the en-
ployer but Is a Statewide obligation.
: An efficient workman is an asset to his
I state but when misfortune has taken
| from him efficiency he is changed into
liability. Massachusetts has passed
Rehabilitation Act, while bill re-
Gently unanimously passed the Senate
of New Jersey which in our Judgment
is a model for Pennsylvania to follow.
| Therefore, the Workmen's Compensa-
| ton Board is somewhat ambitious to
have our State really blazon the way
SO that when misfortune overtal.es the
| workman and when the nrst realization
of his plight has been brought 10 his
mind, that through his states effective
instrumentalities there will be held out
hope and cheer The clouds of despond-
ency will be dispelled and during the
period of convalescence that this man
=
will be given the opportunity o. re-
accommodating himself in his crippled
condition to new avenues of industry.
1--WE then are proposing that our
Board shall have full control and jur-
isdiction over the injured workman,
with his consent of course, from the
time that the report of his accident
reaches us until his compensation has
been secured by agreement or award
and we finally return him to his home
rehabilitated to industrial proficiency.
We have drafted a departmental bill,
another one comforting upon the De-
partment of Workmen's Compensation
the power to direct the rehabilitation
of physically handicapped persons, and
also propose by legislation to make this
Department self sustaining, and to re-
turn surplus each year to the State
Treasury"