The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-26
LABOR AFFECTED
BY LAWS PASSED
BY LEGISLATURE
Industrial Board Amendments
and Employment Commits
sion of Vital Interest.

SlOll Vi vital interest.
VI the laws recently enacted af
iecting labor, greatest interest at
taches to the amendments to the stat,
industrial board laws and to the Law
creating an employment commission
House enrolled act No. 10 amend,
many sections of the industrial boarC
law in manner beneficial to EN-
pioyes. The compensation for dis
memberments and injuries generally
Is raised an average of about 80 pe1
cent by increasing the number OF
weeks during which compensation
shall be paid. For example, under the
OLD law, the compensation for the
loss OF an eye was to continue for
100 weeks. Under the new law, which
VIII take effect when the acts are
proclaimed by the governor. about
May 1. the time Is extended to $50
weeks. The present law provides for
medical aid for thirty days. Under
the new law the industrial board may
extend aid thirty days more.
How Compensation Is Figured.
Under the present law the weekly
wages on which compensation is
based is determined by dividing the
total received for year by fifty.two,
except that If an employee is idle seven
days or more. consecutively, allowance
is made for the time he was unem.
ployed. Under the new law, the DAYS
OF need not be consecutive in order
10 count them out. In other words
under the new law the average weekly
earnings will be determined by the
time actually worked.
Annfhar
amended to provide that an employe
snail include every person, including
a minor. lawfully in the service of
another. This means that if minor
Is unlawfully employed, the employer
can not have the protection of liabil-
lty insurance, and IL the minor were
injured or killed the employer would
have to pay whatever damage court
might assess.
An amendment to Section IA makes
the state or any political subdivision,
or any corporation, partnership or
person liable for accidents or deaths
that may result while a contract let
is being executed. 1t will be up to the
state, or any political subdivision, or
any partnership, corporation or per-
son. to see, when a contract is let,
that the contractor has taken out liza
bility insurance or has obtained a GER
tificate from the industrial board
authorizing him to carry such risk
without insurance. If a citizen de-
cides to build house or let any con-
tract for improvements or repairs, he |
Will be liable for accidents or deaths |
OF employees, unless he sees to it |
that the contractor has complied with |
the law in regard to insurance against |
risks.
Section 68 is amended SO as, to re-
Quire all employers except of farm Ia
Dor and of domestic servants, to reg
lister annually before September /,
their names, business and number of
employees.
Many other amendments were made
but the foregoing are the principal
ones. The state industrial board, now
composed of three members, will be
composed of five after the new law
takes affect.
Employment Commission
Senate enrolled act No. 306 provides
for the crea ton of an employment
commission of seven members to main
tain a free employment service and to
enter into cooperative agreements
with the United States government
and neighboring states, and with the
authorities of cities, towns,
counties and townships and school
The law imposes in the
commission the discharge of all du-
ties under the employment agency act
Of 1909 and expressly repeats the act
Of 1911, which established free en-
ployment agencies in certain cities.
The new law has an emergency clause. ,
In h ,.t,y ~ 4
appoint the members of the commits
sion. two who ARE or represent en-
ployes," two, one of whom shall be a
representing the disinterested
public, and one member, the chairman,
who shall be chosen because of his Pc
,uliar fitness, training and experience,
without regard to party utilization. I
The members shall serve without pay, {
except the chairman, and the pay of .
he chairman shall be fixed by the
commission with the advice Of the I
governor. The commission shall also s
,hoose assistants and fix their pay. e
Not more than so per cent of such EN-
,loyes shall be members Of the same v
political party. S
Duties Of Commission t
The commission is to establish en-
,loyment service, including a mems
ection, woman's section. a farm
abor section, soldiers and sailors
ection, whose duties shall include
complete cooperation with the feder-
j board for vocational education. div
sion of rehabilitation of crippled SOL h
liers and sailors in endeavoring to I,
ecure suitable employment and fair h
treatment of the veterans of the world :,
var; junior section to provide en- n
'loyment to young people, to encour- I
ge them to attend continuation or ~
ocational schools and to aid town and :,
ity boys to obtain employment OH
arms and to cooperate with social ,
gencies in order to develop real. y
tactical Americanism" among those e
( foreign parentage.
Cooperative agreements with the y
ederal government are authorized by -
'hich the state and federal govern y
lent would share in the expense OF y
he employment service, and similar "
Cooperative agreements may be made ID
nth neighboring states and with v
municipal corporations within Indiana n
Liability Insurance. -
Senate enrolled act No. 165 amends :
ection 3 of the law of 1917 in regard r