The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-13

in hlA S1urt, make a report in writ ing giving the details of such dis position. and mail same to the com pensation commissioner of Alabama on blanks to be procured from the commissioner for such purpose. How ever, reports from only two circuit clefks, namely, those of Jefferson ana Mobile counties, have reached the cohAnA ssioner to date.
 Generous Employers
 While 1t is true some errors are made by employers and underwriters in computing compensation due un- der the law to injured workmen it is highly gratifying to note that some of the big corporations of the state show great liberality to their men. During the three months of January, February and March, 1921, two cor- porations, Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad company, Birmingham, and the Chickasaw Shipbuilding and Car company of Mobile voluntarily paid to injured workmen more than $2,000 over and above what they were due to get, according to their injuries, as scheduled under the workmen's com pensation act.
 It is the observation of the com missioner in operating this law that the men who are working on small capital and in individual industries are those that make their compen- sation payments more strictly by the schedule of the law than the big men.
 Many Fail to Comply
 The commissioner is at this time getting up a list of every industry in the state that is subject to the workmen's compensation law, and 1t Is her belief that when this list is completed that 1t will be found that there is a considerable percentage failing to recognize the law at all. There are only three railroads in the state of Alabama that send their re- ports to the commissioner, these be- Ing the Louisville and Nashville. Ala bama Great Southern. and Gulf. Mo bile and Northern railroad. These corporations carry their own insur- ance and the law applies only to their employees other than those engaged in interstate commerme. In othe- words, it is only the shop men whose accidents are reported to the work mems compensation missioner by the roads claim adjusters.
 Law Should He Amended
 When the workmen's compensa- tion law was passed it's best friends ICd4lZCu NHdl IL ndu some We4 K spots" said Mrs. owen, "but 1t was thought by all. and has proved to be, fine beginning and compares favorably with the workmen' com pensation laws as they originally ex- isted in any of the other states. And, by the way, there are only four states remaining in the union without such laws, these being four southern states, largely agricultural" The commissioner has kept In touch with the very best labor legislative minds in the country during her adminis- tration of the workmen's compensa- ton law and has invited the criti- cism of all authorities on the sub Ject with view to making recon. mendations for the betterment of tn, Alabama law to the 1923 session of the legislature. It Is the consensus of opinion that the waiting period of two weeks Is too long, By the term waiting period" is meant that any man that Is injured In his work and is off duty for two weeks or less re- ceiyes no pay for lost time, except physician, drug and hospital bills. the maximum of which Is Sf00. Of course. the purpose of this time limit was to prevent malingering on the part of workmen and shamming sickness to the injury of the employer. How ever, almost all of the states have found that this period Is too long. and that 1t works q great hardship and Injustice on the iaboring man and his family. The average waiting period is fixed at one week and the Alabama commissioner will so rec- ommend for the Alabama law She also intends recommending that the wife be considered a dependent In all cases. The wife only receives com pensation under the law as 1t now reads in case of death.
 Mrs. Owen, as workmen's compen- sation commissioner, receives no ad- ditional pay for this work. The clerk in charge of the bureau is Walter H Monroe, who received his clerical training in government service.