Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-25
STATE COMPENSATION BOARD CARES
FOR HUNDREDG0 Of ACCIDENT CASES.;
2.557 EMPOYERSSUPP0RT MEASURE
Amendments Covering All Phases Of Act Pro-
posed for Next Legislature in Report
of Chairman Locke.
(TrIhuae's Helena Bureau)

(Trihuaes Helena Bureau)
Helena, Dec. 24.-From the seventh
annual report of the Montana indus
trial accident board just issued, par
ticuiarly for the information of the
coming legislature, it is learned that
during the fiscal year ending June 30,
1922, there were, among workmen
coming under the compensation act,
81 fatal accidents, three cases of per-
manent total disability. 76 eases of
permanent partial disability, and 1928
case of temporary disability of which
number 2,179 returned to work within
two weeks of the date of the accident
and were not entitled to compensation.
During the year a total of S40S, $780,
60 was paid out by the board in COM
pensation of which amount 1926 was
disbursed for funeral expenses, S41.-
4S9.17 for medical expenses, S146,-
936.45 for fatal accidents, S11,233.W
for eases of permanent total disability.
S59,606.49 for cases of permanent
partial disability. and $145, 1919 for
eases Of temporary partial disability.
Included in these were lump sum pay
ments in fatal cases of $77,626.S5. and
lump sum payments in non-fatai cases
of 5 7,9S3.02.
During the fiscal year 1851 m
ployers took advantage OF the COM
pensation law, under all of the three
plans, while the number of employees
protected under the several plans was
53,672.
Broad Scope
While the number of employers
-. --l-- H., n-f bho gfaaHItJr in
| creased during the seven years the
law has been in effect the number Of
employees has shown a decided falling
off during the last two years n the
percentage in injuries has been cut
nearly in half.
During the first year Of the boards
existence there were $50 employers
and 61,OO0 employees, of whom the per
cent injured was IL and the per cent
compensate was 2.66.
During the last, the seventh year,
there were 1851 employers, 53,7oo
employees, the per cent injured was D
and the per cent compensate was 2.20,
The financial statement of the board
as of June 80, 1922, follows:
Assets: Cash funds, industrial acct
dent fund, $121, 1888; industrial re-
serve fund, g. ,049.7S, less unpaid
warrants, S45,959.5S. net, 107,s03.53.
Invested funds. registered warrants.
S11.129.66. industrial reserve fund.
S1o7, 455. "a, industrial accident fund
S~1T9,373.56, net 317,95S16, total cash
and invested funds, $425, 161 80. Adj
ministrative funds, S39:37o.o4, trustee
account. S15O,520.04; known disabili-
ties. $3.50, ZOO. administrative expense
S4S.S53.s1: total assets S7s4.508.0S.
Liabilities: Premium income 81 .001.-
262.12, less compensation paid, S642.-
O4a.533, leaving net premium income,
) 9,212.59: administrative income,
S42. 4O237: bonds in trust. $120,520.04;
special deposits. S25,322.55: interest
collected. $41. 226.55; general fund war
rants. S45, sci as: accrued disabilities
(estirnated), $780, 900 ,000-total liza
bilities. 4.J06.oS.
Administration.
The report contains a comparison of
the cost of administering the compensa-
ton laws of the various states. An at
! temnt was made to use a five year
neriod but as the law had been in effect
in several states for shorter periods,
several periods of time are used.
The Montana cost for two years was
$50 .G64. 04, as compared to Sll0.1o9:o2
for North Dakota and S~5o,1oo.32 Tor
Idaho.
The Montana cost for four years was
S97. S99.5S, as compared to
for Minnesota. S~172,551.92 for Utah,
S15.649.76 for South Dakota ana
S55o. 491 As for Illinois.
$40 7a5 as compared with S~241.21l.1o
for Wisconsin. 81, ,2o2.12 for Cali
fornia. $3.50, 5o9.T9 for Oregon. Ss4o,-
4o1 eo for Washington. S262,5oU for
Connecticut. $3.50, 900 for West VIZ
g;Io> so7. es32.32 for Maine, and Sit
XII or for Nevada. Idaho, South ia
kota and Maine have no plan OF m
surance corresponding to Montana s
plan 3. aofo.r which
;s administered by the industrial accl-
dent board. there We're inspected our
inc tI,e last fiscal year 2,121 boilers.
$50 plants inspected and 4;25- licenses
issued. The fees collected during 1he
neriod amounted to S21,2l4.to. dne
expense of the department was F-o.o7f'
leaving a profit of vans
since the close of the last tlscat year
t,a dsnartment of industrial rehabih-
tation. which was under the uirsc'
s,neryison of the state board OF eau
cat;on WAS transferred to the inous-
trfoI acr;deut board and is now one
tTiUl tttttIiN
of it's bureaus.
Proposed Legislation
In concluding his report. whien tun
sists of AZ pages of printed matter
Chairman Jerome G. Locke sets lo!ti
a number Of suggestions for ieg'slatioi
in connection with laws under Whiel
the board is now functlon1ng. lhes'
suggestions are: Ill
/. Cure defect in appropriation d ole
Of seventeenth session so that S5o'ooe
intended for the use of the board mal
be available to 1t. ,
. Substitution of flat medical tee:
for the present system on when I
maximum of 500 is paid during th'
first two weeks following injury. 4.
5. Amendment of the law to PERM
the payment of specific indemnity to-
loss Of member, after the conclusioi
of the period of temporary total dis
ability during which the wound Il
healing.
4. Amendment of the law to legalz'
the settlement of cases of permanen
disability on the basis of percentage o
disability. :.