Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-21

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21:-The
government wants more complete
! and more accurate data on industrial
accidents which result in the in
jury or death of working men and
women. To this end the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the Department
of Labor is making a study of the
problem and has formulated uniform
standard tables and class.ficatioas.
Already fifteen states are compiling
their accident statistics in accord
anoe with these standards.
To show how much remains to
be done in this line, Ethel5ert Stew
art, United States Commissioner of
Labor Statistics, calls attention to
the a C hat the total number of
industrial fatalities in this country
in one year is largely a matter of
estimate, ranging from IL, 00O to 3d.
OO9. The total number of injuries
IS even more in doubt and no one
has any means of knowing the to-
tai number of accidents.
THE total annual wage loss re-
sulting 1!Jm these industrial acct
dents amounts to at least one bill
non dollars" lays Mr.. Stewart. THE
injured wol kmen and their Iepen-
dents are reimbursed in accident
compensation approximately $780,
oOo,O0O each year. Thus it WIZ lie
seen that in spite of the compen-
sdtlon laws the workers must still
pear four-ffths of the economic bur
den resulting from industrial in
juries.'
Based upon incomplete data the
BlrHAn which Mr. C4n---.
estimated the total number each
year of disabling work accident
unoer normal industrial conditions
at approximately 2,427,65O. or these
Zl,O0O result in death; 1.65O in nar-
manent disability, 1850 in ner-
manent partial disability, such as
Tue loss OF an arm, foot, hand finger
etc; 1,495,000 in disabi1-
ity under two weeks; 467.O00 in tem-
porary disability from two to four
weeks, and $4,000 in die.
ability over four weeks.
These figures prove that
take an appalling toll of the work.
ers and show hat peace hath its
horrors no less than war, to nara
phrase a familiar quotation. Every
orker killed and every worker in,
capacltated in any way or degree
aods TO n economic burden of co
ciety In n way or another. From
d humanitarian standpoint If 20 in
cuIhpeh upon organized society n
Ieuuce n suffering and distress re-
SuItIhg from these accidents tn tbs
lo"est possible minimum, and n ie
seaIceIy less important to reduce tbe
loss in wages, skill and
to work. The first stem RI.
Wdro all this is to have comn1ete
ana accurate information co~ncerninr
industrial accidents. Hence the Gov
ernment's activity. e
NO Uniformity In State Laws
According to Mr. Stewart the diff.
nculty IN obtaining reliable data
shoWlng the number and severity oil
industrial accidents in the United
states is u largely to the incom.
paraDllty and incompleteness of the
accident statistics published by tht
various states. In some states ~
scope Of the compensation and ar,
cidents reporting laws is limited ;,
so-caIled hazardous emplovments
excluding mercantile establish.
ments, professional employment
and clerical occupations. All of III,
states except one exclude ae%ricuItur,
and domestic service.
Six states and the District of ~,
lumbia have no workmen's common
satlon and accident reporting / aw,
at all, and consequently no accidenI
statistics are available.
Even in those states which hav,
compensation laws" says Mr.. stew
art t h methods of compiling &c
eldent statistics vary so much tba.
IN many cases the data published
are not comparable and can NOT h,
combined with the statistics of otbe'
states. Some states use as a uni
the number of accidents which oc
CURED during the year some use tn.
humber reported during the yea
ana others use the number of case
closed or a~d5udicated during III
year. Again, some states presen
their data for the calendar year an
others for the fiscal wear.
This lack of uniformity make
an accurate comparison of one stat
+ with another absolutely impossibI,
In only twenty states are accident
=, CLASSIFIED by industry; in only eigh,
cen states r they classified b
= cause in only twelve states by natur
z OF injury, and in only about one-ha
: by severity Of injury. Only tw
states have complied and publishe
kAectdent rates, without which 1t