The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-01-03
WOMAN IN OFFICE
VIEWED AS WONDER
BY POLITICIANS

The Seattle P-I of December 81
printed the following condensation
from an interview with Mrs. Fran
els Axtell:
"Out West. where woman plays
her part in government, the appoint
ment of a woman to a commission
does not create much excitement,
but politicians in Washington still
view me as a sort of eighth wonder
of the political world" declares Mrs.
Frances c. Axtell, of Bellingham,
Chairman of the United States EN-
ployees' Compensation Commission,
who arrived in Seattle yesterday to
transact business for the commits
sion and visit her home after an
absence of seventeen months. Mrs.
Axtel stepped into the national
limelight two years ago with the dis
tinction of being the first woman
appointed to a federal commission
by President of the United States.
After serving in the State Legisla-
ture and making the race for Con-
gress in 1915 she was chosen by
President Wilson to sit on the new
ly created commission.
ITO the older politicians back
East and the public men at the
capital it seems almost revolutionary
that woman should head the Com
mission" she says. 'They cannot
seem to grasp the fact that l am
a member of the body, let alone
the chairman. They seem to think
that / am the secretary, and when
they present any matters they ask
me to please turn it over to the
Commission"
Commission in Working Order
Mrs. Axtell declares that the ma
chinery of the Commission is now in
good working order and that the
compensation paid by the govern
ment is more liberal than that in
any of the states that provide aid
for disabled workmen. The com
mission, she says, pays 66 2-3 per
cent of the mans salary while he
is injured, 800 funeral expenses
and extends the payments to the
widow as long as she remains sin
gle, and to the children until they
reach majority.
Since the war began, she says, the
number of claims has increased az
per cent, largely because of accidents
in arsenals, munition plants and 9TH
er war industries.
The organization has designated
doctors and hospitals as representa-
tives of the Commission in all parts
of the country. Army and navy
surgeons and public health officers,
under the law, give their services
free of charge, and the Department
of Justice takes care of the legal
work of the Commission without
charge.
Carriers Claim Compensation
Mail carriers are among those
most frequently claiming compensa-
ton, especially at Christmas time,
when they are taxed with the work
of distributing Christmas gifts, she
says. The Commission looks after
the claims of workers in arsenals,
navy yards, reclamation projects and
other government work.
While the work is exacting, it is
very interesting" declares Mrs. Ak
tell. can of the claims come
through the Commission, and where
there are irregularities or appeals
the Commission holds hearings on
the subjects. We learn a lot of
various phases of human nature and
are able to be of service in many
cases of need and misfortune"
Mrs. Axtell is Strengthening out a
case arising from the reclamation
service in Eastern Washington, and
will return East by way of San
Francisco in a few days. She is
the wife of a Bellingham physician
and was one of the first two women
to serve in the State Legislature,
being a member of the states law
making body in 1918.