Great Falls tribune., 1921-12-24
The Haski11 Letter
By FREDERICK
J. HASkW
A WOMAN OFFICIAL.

/ mission, and that makes each case a
great responsibility
Mrs. Bruegeman is one OF the
| women who have been launched into
| important offices by the recent cleo
ton. Before the war, she was
| woman of leisure with a home1n st.
| Louis-one of the women interested IN
| ciyics, politics and social problems.
| She was an ardent worker, and when
that responsibility was over she be-
came interested in the approaching
presidential campaign.
Her Political Work
She became member of the re-
publican national committee from
Missouri and later was on the ma
tional advisory committee Of which
Taft, Root and Beveridge were mem
bers. Her appointment to office she
says came as surprise. But PresI-
dent Harding told her that she could
do the work and that she would en-
ioy it. 1t seems the president was
right.
Mrs. Bruegeman explained that the
government is progressive in its com,
pensation law in that all of it's civil
employees benefit by it. In the state
laws men and women who are engaged
in industries are practically the only
ones who may be compensated by law
and there is a variety of opinion IN
different states as to what Industries
are sufficiently hazardous to entitle
workers to compensation il they are
injured.
In the government. man VINO Is
struck by falling object is entitled
to file claim whether he is a clerk
who was struck by filing cabinet,
or laborer hit by falling crate
The government law recognizes that
there are dangers of office work, not
SO numerous Or frequent as those OF
machine shop, but still worthy OF con-
sideration.
Typical office disabilities are often
among the most difficult cases for the
commission to decide IF tuberculosis
is contracted and the patient claims
that the disease developed because or
insanitary or otherwise bad conditions
in his office, the commission must IN
vestigate both office and home condl-
t;ons before making decision. It
may be that the patient has been care
less of sanitation and of his health
at home.
A number of claims are filed with
the government for influenza cases
contracted, it is held. in draughty
or badly ventilated rooms. In some
of these, too, the commission finds that
there is not sufficient evidence that
office conditions were responsible.
1t is especially hard to fix RESPONSE
bility for disease which might have
been contracted at any time during a
considerable period. In every case,
every possible bit of evidence is OBJ
tanned and carefully reviewed. The
commissioners have their staff of doc
ers. lawyers and claim experts with
whom to consult, and doctors and
| lawyers in different parts of the
country work with the commission to
clear up eases of federal employees
working outside of Washington.
In 1921, to date. the commission
has paid out S1.129,O00 in compen-
sation for injuries. This does not
include lump sum compensation which
is occasionally given to a man too
| seriously injured to return TO his
| work. A lump sum sometimes gives
him a chance to start a small bnsi-
| ness for himself The commission Is
kept busy. There are nearly U0.ooo
| federal employees and several hundred
cases come In daily