The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-03-05
Failed in Massachusetts

after some years experience it was
found that the commercial insurance
was taking the business away from
the state bureau on its merits.
Nelson's Perpetual Encyclopedia, the
best known authority on all knowl-
edge and current history, says that
the experiment in Massachusetts, in
dicates that state insurance is a fail
ure, not because of any inherent
wrong in state insurance but because
in it's very nature, any business de-
pending upon politicians to operate
it, and subject to the frequent
changes due to the change of admin
istration, loses efficiency, loses inter-
est and loses the pep that is found in
private enterprise conducted by ex-
perts whose term of office does not
depend upon the whims of political
events. A private enterprise is pushed
and kept very much alive, while a
similar enterprise conducted by the
state, waits for patrons to come in
and ask for service, and experience
proves that people wanting insurance
Germ with it's usual activity goes after
and takes the business away from the
state concern. The private concern
gives good service and the state |
bureau renders such service as is to
be found where there is indifference. |
Ohio Workers Suffer
Ohio has department of state in
surance for the protection Of work. |
ingmen, and it is monopoly 1t |
started off at lower rate than the |
commercial companies had been |
charging and made good showing |
for few years while the first claims |
were accumulating, but as the claims |
of widows and orphans increased in
number and there were more people |
on the steady pay roll, the rate of
premium was raised to meet the de-
mands, and in the past six years the
rate has doubled. Accident insurance
is costing people more in Ohio than
it does in other states where the pri-
vate companies operate, and a COM
mission now investigating finds great
dissatisfaction both among employers
and employees. Claims for injuries
are not attended to promptly, and
some of them drag along for months
while the victims of the accidents are
in great need Of the funds. The ply
sicians employed to treat the injured
find their bills cut by the examining
board, and they receive so much less
for looking after the insured victims
than they receive for similar work in
their regular practice, that they be-
come discouraged and drop out of
,hpn
clans and surgeons are hired-men
who have not succeeded in private
practice. In addition to that feature,
the board has made rules against al
lowing the doctor anything for treat
ing ordinary injuries, but allow pay
for treating infections wounds where
poison develops) and for amputa-
lions (cutting off a limb) The un-
scrupulous doctors who have charge
of cases knowing they will not receive
any pay for caring for ordinary in
juries, slight their work and get thru
with it as soon as possible, and If
they neglect wound so much that
infection develops then they get pay
for taking care of 1t. If it gets so
bad that amputation is necessary or
If there is a probability that amputa-
ton is necessary, the doctor is liable
to give himself the benefit Of the
doubt, amputate the limb and take
the fee for amputatiton. All this UNI
necessary sacrifice has to be borne by
the injured workman, who is sup
posed to be protected by the state
insurance.
Ashton Parties Suffer
About the tenth of June, 1919 a
man in the employ of the Ashton &
st. Anthony Power Co. having fin
ished his days work, took his fishing
rod and went out on the dam to
catch some trout. As he passed under
a cable, the end Of his fishing rod
touched an overhead cable and turned
the electric current thru his body.
The breaking of the rod cut of the
current almost instantly and saved