The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1921-03-18
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DANGER AHEAD

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DANGER AHEAD
Danger looms ahead for the Ohio
state vorkmen's compensation law.
The enemies of the law and the
friends Of the liabilities companies
are busy and active. A league, call
ing itself League for Workmen's
Compensation, made UP Of hundreds Of
employers throughout the state, has
been formed for the purpose of back
ing and putting through the bin offer
ed by Representative Burns, of Wash
ngton county, permitting liability
insurance companies to write the kind
cf insurance which, if the bill is pass
ed, means the virtual destruction Of
the present compensation law and
which labor has fostered and worked
for for many years.
The league. in its first bulletin just
issued, emphatically states that the
employers would resent any effort
to abrogate the principle Of the work
mems compensation and that they
only desire that they be permitted to
decide for themselves how they want
to carry their compensation obliga-
tions under control and supervision
of the state Through the Burns bill
they would ask for the right to in
demnify themselves against losses
under the law of injuries to their EN-
ployes The indemnities to be OBJ
tanned through insurance in the liabil-
tiles companies. The Bulletin further
says: This league believes in the
principles of workmen's compensa-
tion. It is against any proposal that
would seek to bring back the days of
the ambulance-chasing lawyer or set
Element Of liability cases for the pro-
ft Of liability companies"
That may be alright and sounds
very nice indeed, and we are willing
% believe that many Of the states
employers are sincere and earnest in
heir desire to do the right thing b.
employees, but every right thinking
nan should know that, once the liabil-
ties drive the thinnest wedge in the
compensation law as it
.tands today, that the real usefulness
md the good Of that law IS destroyed.
There will never be any trouble for the
liabilities companies to find some
echnicality on which to throw the
laims Of the injured workers into the
ourts. And everyone knows what
hat means to the claimant. 1t means
lothng il The end Just to cite an
Instance Of what vorkmen's compen-
alton means as it stands today In
anuary man working in one of our
'ig plants, on Monday morning
cratched his finger on casting,
'lood poisoning Immediately set in
nd on the following Friday after ter
ible suffering the man died, leaving
widow and three small children,
'oorly provided for. A claim because
f this death was sent in to the state
commission on January 81,
nd on the 11th day Of February the
awarded the widow $4,000,
0 be paid to her in monthly install
nents until the amount awarded is
aid Now how long do you suppose
would have taken this widow to
ecure relief on such claim as this
ghere her husband died as the result
f having obtained a scratch of the
niger on a casting, claim in which
ONE liability company would have
cen involved or concerned? How
ong would ii have been before this
widow would have even been paid
ew measly hundred dollars? Would
he ever have received anything +?
Wouldn't they have worn her out go
1g through the higher courts But
here is no use talking about it fur
her everyone knows what the work
len's compensation means to the
yorkingman, and everyone knows
that it is going to mean if the Burns
i'll becomes a law. So it behooves
very labor organization and every
'orkingman, union and non-union, to
ct on the job.
We almost forgot to state. in the