Evening star., 1923-02-04
Rate by NIail-Payable in Advance
MaryIand and virginia.
All Other States.
NIop,ho,. of tho AsSaciafed Press.
Sick Paw.

A decision just rendered by the con-
troller general cuts off from the bene-
fit Of compensation by the United
States government employees who lose
time from their work through illness.
such compensation to be paid, accord
ing to the ruling, only to those who
have sustained personal injury in the
performance of duty" II this decision
stands, and there is apparently no way
around it save by new legislation, all
sick pay will cease for those employees
who are covered by the compensation
act. 1t is but a step from such hold
ing to the position that sick leave"
for other employees Of the government
may not be granted; that Is, that no
employe Of the government shall be
paid for any time lost on account OF
sickness.
For many years the government has
maintained it's workers on the basis
Of an allowance Of time for sickness
with no loss of pay. All the clerks in
the departments have been thus car
ried on the rolls for thirty days In the
course Of a year in case OF illness, re-
sardIess of the origin or nature Of the
disease. To deny the government
workers who are specifically included
in the compensation act sick benefits
is to menace this custom.
Under the new ruling Of the con-
troller any worker of the government
who by exposure to the weather In the
course of duty contracts, for example,
a cold which develops into disabling
illness must be denied compensation
for the time or any part Of the time
lost from work by reason OF that Ill
ness. If, however, a worker in one OF
the mechanical branches OF the gov
ernment smashes finger by q blow OF
a hammer in the course OF his work,
and is laid up for several weeks in
consequence, he is entitled to com.
pensation" A rural mail carrier, driv-
ing in the line Of his duty over roads
swept by winters winds, is perhaps
so depleted in energy and resistance
that he is stricken with disease, and
off. A worker in the naval gun foun.
dry is scorched by a blast from a fur.
mace while on duty and incapacitated.
He is carried on the rolls.
These are evident inconsistencies.
Strict application Of the ruling dis
eliminating between personal injuries
and illness is sure to make for many
such determinations initiating against
the equity Of the system in operation.
1t is evident that to carry out the
an amendatory act to include in the
benefits Of federal compensation those
who are stricken with illness while in
the employ of the government.
Many private corporations maintain
"sick benefit" systems without cost to
the employees. carrying their workers
on the pay rolls for specified periods
In case Of illness, regardless Of the
cause or origin. They do this from
an intelligent appreciation Of the fact
that to the extent that the employer
is considerate of the welfare Of the
workers they will render efficient serv-
ice when physically capable. And con-
versely, the employer who cares moth.
ing for his workers in this regard is
poorly served.
Correction Of this obvious injustice
should be promptly effected before the
close Of the present session by the
adoption Of an amendment to the com.
pensation law.