The Cordova daily times., 1920-12-03
TEXT OF NEW
 W0RKMEN ACT
 IS MAILED OUT

Copies of bill for a proposed new "N orkmen's Compensation A c t." which will be considered at the net session of the territorial legis- lature are being mailed out to in- dividuals, business firms, fraternal societies, labor organizations and others all over the territory from the governors office. This is done under instructions contained in a concurrent resolution passed by the 1919 session of the Alaska legislature and criticisms and comments on the proposed legislation are invited by Gov. Riggs.
 The bill is entitled "An act creat- ing the industrial insurance fund for the benefit of employees injured and the dependents of the employees killed in hazardous employments, providing for the administration of such fund for the industrial commis- sion and making appropriations therefor" It was proposed by Sen ator Luther c. Hess, of Fairbanks, last session and was drawn by the American Association for Labor Leg islation.
 No effort was made to pass the bill during the last term but the governor was authorized by resolu- tion to have copies of the bill printed and disturbed in order that an eX- pression of opinion might be ob tained from those interested to be used in determining the final action of the legislature when the matter comes up next spring. While effort is being made by Gov. Riggs to mail a copy to everyone interested, it is possible that some may have been missed and he will be glad to mail copies on request.
 Section 4 of the bill provides: An industrial commission is hereby ere ated consisting of three commits sioners, to be appointed by the gov ernor, who shall devote their entire time to the duties of the commits sion. The term of office shall be six years. The salary of the chair man shall be thirty five hundred dol lars ($3,500) year. and each of the other members three thousand dol lars ($3,000) year" The commits sion also has the power to appoint a secretary at a salary of $2,000 a year. It shall have it's headquarters in Juneau with officers, but may hold sessions at any place in the territory It is also empowered to employ such clerical help and other assistance as is necessary. Section also provides: "The commission is hereby invested with full power and jurisdiction over, and shall have such supervision over every em- ployment and place of employment subject to this act as may be neces- sary adequately to administer and enforce all laws and regulations re- quiring such employment and place of employment to be safe and shall issue safety regulations whenever necessary"
 The proposed insurance fund to be created by payments of prem iums levied on employers of labor subject to the act. The rate of the premium will be determined by rates and classifications of employments compiled and issued by the commis- sion and annual payments of prem iums are required to be made into the fund.- The employers securing the payment of compensation by con- tributing premiums to the fund are thereby relieved from all liability from personal injuries or death sus- tained by his employees and persons entitled to compensation under the act shall have recourse therefor only to the industrial insurance fund and not to the employer. The industrial commission, it is provided: Shall classify employments with regard to their degree of hazard and shall de- termine the risks of the different classifications and shall fix the rates of premiums for each of said class- fications sufficiently high to pro- vide for the payment of compensa- tion according to the schedules es- tablished by this act and for the and surplus by the industrial insur-