Great Falls tribune., 1921-12-24

Washington, Dec. 19.-Whether a
| man was murdered or committed sui
eide is one Of the interesting points on
which Mrs. Albert Brueggeman must
express an official opinion in the
course Of her work on the employees
compensation commission. If the man
| IN question, government employe,
was murdered, his widow and children
| who are left dependent would receive
compensation. If he committed suicide
| thereby deliberately cutting off their
means Of support, the government can
not be responsible for his dependents.
Comparatively few people outside
of the government service realize that
Uncle Sam makes himself responsible
| for injuries contracted by his employees
while in the line of duty. And still
fewer know that the government COM
pensation commission sets high
standard for institutions of this sort.
The government compensation act
is like the workmen's compensation
act of the states and yet In several
ways it is quite different. As Mrs
Brueggeman, one of the commissioners,
points out:
'"The government is far more Gb-
eral to its. workers than employers in
the states are required to be. In the
states, it is the private employer of
labor who has to pay when work
man is allowed compensation for an
injury. To pay the compensation and
at the same time hire new man in
the injured workman's place may be
n serious financial burden to the en-
ployer. So the state commissions
must read the law very closely.
But the government can afford TO
be more liberal to it's employees 1t
really wants to come to the assistance
Of its employees when they are disabled
through their work.
For instance. if two men in a gov
ernment machine shop were scuffling
and one fell against machine and
was hurt. how should the case be de-
cided? Should the men have been
scuffling? Was it their own lookout
that the accident occurred?
In case of this sort, the govern
ment is apt to be broader in its deci-
sion than state commission could be-
Workmen are human beings, not ma
chimes And the injury may leave a
family destitute for months.
The Federal Law
"At the same time. the government
compensation law states plainly that no
compensation can be awarded for an
accident due to carelessness on the part
of the person injured. Nor will the
government assume responsibility for a
person injured while intoxicated. or
for one who deliberately kills or in
jures himself SO the commissioners
have to consider every detail of the
evidence and act as board of judges
to decide"
Mrs. Brueggeman is the newest com
missioner-the woman on the board.
Her fellow commissioners, John Kee-
gan and Charles Berrill, have sug-
geste> he for chairman. and President
Harding IS now considering the mat
ter.
From conversation with Mrs.
Brueggeman, you would say that she is
a good choice for the business of judg-
ing. She has strong sympathy for
tho person who is injured and for the
family, which is more often than not
an equal sufferer. But she is at the
| same time conscientious. One of her
duties is to see that the government
is not taken advantage of.
Il wish / didn't take it quite so
| seriously" ahe said with a rather
wistful smile. II dream for nights
afterward Of some of the cases we
, can't allow. You see, there is no
appeal from the decision of the COM