New-York tribune., 1922-04-14
Miller Signs Bill
ExtendinggLabor
Insurance Laws
Knight Measure Brings
Longshoremen and Other
Shipping Workers Under
the Compensation Act
PutsTeeth inEnforcement
Prevents Technical Defense.
Provides Fines, Gives En-
ployees More Protection
From a Std6 Corrcspomdc,,i

NA Hplil -LonGSn ore men,
canal men and other shipping EN-
ployees are brought under the work
mems compensation act by the signing
to-day of the knight bill, which also
broadens and strengthens the law for
the benefit of the workers. Some of
the amendments provide:
!. That the present limitation Of
sixty days medical treatment be abol-
ished and the injured worker be given
adequate medical treatment so long as
it is necessary.
2. That employers who do not insure
their workers shall be punished by not
more than one year Imprisonment, $500
fine Or both.
8. Ihat insurance companies which
have carried on a corrupt practice of
inducing employers to carry out insur-
ance that really did not cover the en-
this fact in the courts, must hereafter
pay regardless of the nature of the
policy.
d. That contractors are liable for the
injuries Of employees Of sub-contrac-
tors.
5. That loss of hearing shall be COM
pensated by one hundred and fifty
weeks ompensation.
Field of Diseases Enlarged
In addition the field of occupational
diseases is greatly enlarged, and the
State Workmens Compensation Insur-
ance Fund is made more attractive by
numerous amendments
Covorpor Mil1or IN co11iur attention
to the new sections in the law relating
to the insurance fund. which, he point
ed out, writes policies at lower rates
than private concerns. emphasized
especially the new provision calling for
the appointment by the Governor of an
advisory committee of state fund policy
holders. who shall have the right to in
quire into and advise in regard to all
matters pertaining to the fund.
"This committee" said the Governor,
"wll look particularly into the ques-
tion of rates, reserves and general
arrangements. Such committee
should disarm suspicion that the State
fund is managed for political control
and not for the best interests of the
policyholders, and it is hoped that it
lations between the management and
the employers insured in the State
fund With its lower rates for COM
pcnsation insurance, the State fund
should be in a position to write a
much greater volume of the compen-
sation insurance than it does, and it
is my hope that by its effective com
petition it will become great regu-
lator of insurance rates in this field
of compulsory insurance"
Obsolete and unworkable provisi ons
have been taken out of the law regu-
lating the State fund and it will now
be permitted to pay it's expenses di-
rectly out Of its premium income as
other insurance companies do.
"The procedure for compelling en-
ployers to insure is greatly simplifed,' -
said Governor Miller. Great difficulty
has been experienced in the past in
prosecuting non-insured employers due
to the inability of the enforcing au-
seai stand in J Court This bill provides S that
the commissioner may require any en-
ployer to file with him a statement
with regard to his insurance, and fail
ure to file such information within ten
days shall be deemed presumptive evi:
dence that the employer has not com
quent prosecution, therefore, the bur-
den Of proof is on the employer to
show that he is insured rather than
upon the depa rtment to prove that he
is not insured. This provision should
result in more effective measures to
prevent the evil of uninsurance than
any other provision yet devised"
Commenting on the section Of the
new law, for 1t is really revised rather
than amended, which is aimed at the
corrupt practices Of certain casualty
insurance companies, the Governor
said:
This is one of the most important
amendments. 1t makes it impossible
for any insurance company that has
accepted premium for jnsuring under
the compensation act later to deny
liability on the ground that the EN-
ployment is not under the compensa-
tion law. lnnumerable instances have
occurred where insurance agents have
prevailed upon employers to take out
compensation insurance where, after
an accident occurred the insurance
company defended on the ground that
the employment did not come within
the compensation law. Such action on
the part of an insurance company can
not be too severely condemned, and
this amendment will absolutely stop
such technical defenses."
The measure was prepared by the
Joint Labor Committee of the Legis-
la ture and at numerous hearings and
conferences in which the Governor pa; .
ticipated.