Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-05
NOPROWS|ONFOR
WORKERS OF D. c.
Royal Meeker, U. S. Labor
Official, Comments on Fail
ure of Congress.
FOR A COMPENSATION LAW


Special Dispatch to The Star.
RICHMOND, Va, December Is
Immediate steps should be taken to
bring to the attention of the whole
country. and especially to the work
ers of the District of Columbia, the
utter failure of Congress to provide
for the District of Columbia workers,
either publicly or privately en-
ployed," declared Royal Meeker,
United States commissioner of labor
statistics. He made an address here
this afternoon before the American
Association for Labor Legislation on
Lacks In Workmen's Compensation
The most evident lack in work
mems compensation legislation" said
DR.. Meeker. lis the entire lack of any
compensation legislation in the Dis
trict of Columbia and in ten of the
forty-eight states composing the
Union. The ten delinquent states
are North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama,
Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri and
North Dakota.
1T would seem that the greatest
improvement in compromising legis
lation that can be made is to induce
the present Congress and the legisla-
lures of these states when they meet
to pass compensation acts.
Il am unaware of any sentiment in
the District of Columbia favoring the
passage of a compensation law COW
ering the workers of the District out
side of United States government en-
ploy," said Mr.. Meeker
Public Insurance Advocated. j..
Public insurance was strongly ad-
vocated by Commissioner MeeRer-
Community insurance" he said,
sis much cheaper. and it reaches all.
Therefore 1t must and will supersede
private profit-seeking competitive in
surance. If exclusive state insurance
cannot. be obtained in, any state we
should be ready to accept tempo
rarity competing state fund as one
means of regulating and controlling
private casualty companies"
: The speaker declared that the only
way compensation benefits could be
extended to all classes now excluded
from the operation Of compensation
acts was by means Of exclusive pub
lie insurance or by state-aided or
Since there is NO place in America
for monopolies. except public monop-
olies, it is necessary. he said. to adj
vocate state insurance to the ex-
cIusion of all other kinds. 1t is
never possible. he asserted. to put a
state fund on an equal footing with
private casualty companies. for the
latter would take only the cream of
the business and leave the more
costly risks to the state fund.
Competitive Insurance Costly.
Just why" asked DR.. Meeker.
should the community bind itself to
refrain from giving the best guar
anteed insurance to it's workers at
the lowest possible cost? 1t is well
know that the overwhelmingly
greater part Of the high costs of com
petitive insurance is due to the ex-
penses of acquisition, renewal and
collection of premiums. The invest
ment of reserve funds and the COM
putation OF acturiaf liabilities also
constitute very heavy charges. The
costs of acquisition. renewal, collec-
ton OF premiums and investment of
funds are almost eliminated under an
exclusive state fund in which every
employer would be obliged to insure
his employees. The premiums should
be assessed and collected in the same
way as taxes
''In fact, there is no more reason for
the interference Of private companies
in the insurance of compensa ton
risks than in the assessing and col
lecting Of taxes. All these enormous
advantages in economy and univer-
salty are lost il private competing
methods are permitted to enter. A
competitive state fund is but little
better than private profit-seeking
stock casualty company
Provision for Injured Workers.
THE provision for adequate medi-
cal, surgical and hospital treatment
for injured workers is far more i'm
portant than the allowance of money
benefits. Yet four states make no
provision whatever for such services.
Twelve limit the cost to 500 or less
and fifteen limit the period to thirty
days or less. Only six states permit
of adequate medical and surgical
treatment by = placing no limits In
such services"
The commissioner scoffed at the
"hoary-headed fallacy'' that. compen-
sation laws create huge financial bur
dens. and declared that the very in
adequate compensation laws now in
in frequency and in severity.
The Smith-Bankhead bill now be-
fore Congress-" he went on, provides
for federal aid on a flfty-fifty basis
to the states which will undertake the
rehabilitation and unemployment of
industrial cripples. think the Ameri-
can A Association for Labor Legislation
should appoint a committee to study
the so-called Smith -Bankhead bill,
suggest such changes as seem desir-
able and work for its passage"
Waiting Period Too Long.
, DR.. Meeker said the money COM
pensation provided in laws Of different
He believed that all maximum limita-
tons on compensation should be i'm
mediately abolished.
THE percentage of wages allowed
should certainly be not less than two
thirds he declared. II am in favor of
three fourths, but will be greatly
pleased IL we can bring the seventeen
jurisdictions which allow half-pay up
to the 66 2-3 per cent level"
DR.. Meeker said the waiting period.
before compensation benefits begin is
much too long. Seventeen states have
a waiting period of two weeks; one
has three weeks; four, ten days. and
fifteen, one week.
zone week." said the speaker, ISIS a
long time for a workingman's family
to be cut or from all or the principal
part of it's means of living. If We
would spend less time in specializing
on the moral derelictions of the Ia
boring classes and in trying to pro-
tect our pocketbooks from the more
or less mythical malinserer, and get
down to hard work in behalf of de-
for the protection of the great mass
Of workers. we would he able to ac-