Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1920-01-04
State INSURANCE
DEPARTMENT PAYS
ITS own EXPENSES
Employers Generally Comply
ing With Law Requiring Pro-
lection for Their Help, Says
Manager.

The state insurance fund admins
istered by the state insurance man
ager was created as a part of the
workmen's compensation act by the
fourteenth session OF the Idaho legis-
lature. The existence of the fund
dates from July /, 1917, but inasmuch
as the insurance and compensation
features of the law did not become eff
fective until Jan. 1, 1913, this office
has just completed the second
full year OF its experience. The pres
ent insurance manager. ID. w. Church
Of Pocatello, has served one year of
the five-year term for which he was
appointed. His long experience in the
banking business has served him in
good stead in meeting the questions
arising out of the administration of
the state insurance act This Is one
| office of the state that is admins
! tered along strict business lines. 1t is
a self supporting business institution
and the only office of its kind carried
| on by the state.
/ PAYS ITS EXPENSE
Contrary to an impression that has
gained currency in some quarters the
office of the state insurance manager
does not cost the taxpayers of Idaho
cent to maintain. 1t pays it's own
way, meeting the expenses of its MAIN
tenance out of the premiums collected
on insurance policies" says Mr..
Church.
1.-THE state insurance fund was es-
tablished by the legislature to pro-
vide the employers of this state with
insurance as required by the work.
mems compensation law at absolute
cost. 1t has successfully met the
sharpest of competition from old es-
tablished private insurance companies,
which are allowed by the present inter-
probation Of the law to compete for the
insurance business. Many thousands
OF dollars have been saved to the en-
ployers who are policyholders in the
state insurance fund which they would
otherwise have paid in premiums to the
private insurance companies.
while complete figures for the past
year are not yet available the state in
surance fund has had most satisfac-
tory and prosperous year. Practically
all employers covered by the law are
now aware of the requirement that
this insurance must be provided for
the protection of their employees, so
that 1t is now no longer necessary to
, spend the major portion of the time in
! enforcing compliance with the law, as
was the case during the first year. The
office can now devote practically all
of its attention to the purely insur-
ance features of the law.
1.-THE office is just now engaged in
sending out to all employers insured
with the state fund blanks for Their
reports of payroll for the past year
and inasmuch as there are about 600t
employers insured with the state fund
the task of mailing out the forms, witt
, each of which a letter of explanation
is sent, is no small job.
; There are still occasional instance!
of employers who are not familiar will
the requirements of the law and pos
sibly some who are deliberately evad
ing compliance, but these cases ar,
growing fewer each day. In practic
ally every instance all that is required
to enforce compliance with the law |:
to call the attention of the delinquent
employer to the severe penalty pro
vided by the law.
i, '"The state insurance has the powel
to collect a penalty of 81 per day TO
each employee and in addition may en-
, join the employer from carrying on hi
business where the default extends
over period of 30 days.
Every claim for compensation file'
with the state insurance manager b,
an injured employee or by the depend
ents of a deceased empIoye is takel
Q care of promptly and fairly in accord
+ apce with the provisions of the law. o
necessity much correspondence is en-
g tailed in the settlement of compensa
ton claims, but in every instance tn
claimant receives, as promptly as sur
u ficient facts can be secured to tustif.
g it, the benefits provided by the law
and this without any cost to him what
sOeyer"