Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-08-31
LABOR'S OPPORTUNITY
ONE STEP MORE AND THE OHIO WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION
LAW WILL BE THE GREATEST PIECE OF LABOR
LEGISLATION WORLD
A Con Institutional Amendment
To Be Voted On at the General Election November
1t InvunerabIe o the of Its Adopted

The Ohio State Federation of La
Dor, in conjunction with the organized
! employers of Ohio, succeeded in hav-
| ing the Eighty-ffth General Assem-
bly, of Ohio vote to submit to the
electors at the general election in No
vember, 1923, an amendment to the
Constitution of Ohio pertaining to
Workmen's Compensation.
| Labor of Ohio is vitality concerned
and should begin to study the pro-
posed amendment and organize in
every city and county in the State to
secure the adoption of the amendment
by the people of Ohio next November.
If the amendment becomes a part
of the Constitution Of Ohio, Labor
will have made another great advance
in achieving industrial safety and will
have secured increased Workmen's
Compensation awards to workmen in
jured in the course of their employ
! ment and the dependents of those
killed coming under the terms of the
law.
The proposed Constitutional Amend
ment provides for an annual levy, not
to exceed one per cent of the pre-
miums paid by employers into the
State Insurance Fund yearly, to be
! used by the Industrial Commission
for the investigation and prevention
of industrial accidents and diseases.
This will enable the Industrial Com
mission to establish a laboratory for
the investigation and study of indus
trial accidents and issue special and
general orders upon employers to
make their places of employment safe
for the workers, these orders being
based upon the hazards shown by the
accident reports and the character
of the injuries sustained by the
workers while in the course of their
employment.
Labor, the organized employers and
Industrial Commission of Ohio have
appealed to each General Assembly
for years to make an adequate ap-
preparation for the study and preven-
tion of industrial accidents, but with
out avail. Now it is proposed to as
sess this cost upon industry and the
funds will be available each year to
carry on the work without action by
the Legislature. 1t is estimated that
about 100000 per year can be Sc
cured by the levy for safety work if
the Constitutional Amendment carries
Another feature of the Constitu-
tional Amendment is that making the
Workmen's Compensation Law a COM
plete coverage for all industrial acci-
dents and diseases, and giving the In
dustrial Commission the power to in
crease the compensation from Is to
so per cent of the maximum compen-
sation allowed by law because of the
violation of lawful requirement
passed by the Legislature or special
or general orders of the Industrial
Commission. January 1, 1924, the
change in the Workmen's Compensa-
tion Law making it apply to employ
ers of three or more workmen, instead
of five, and the increases secured by
the Ohio State Federation of Labor
at the hands of the Eighty-fifth Cen
eral Assembly will become effective.
These increases provide for maxi
mum death award of $6,500 and a
maximum weekly compensation of
$18.75, in addition to 25 per cent ad-
vance in the schedule for permanent
partial disability. 1t will be possible,
therefore, if the Constitutional
Amendment is adopted, to increase
the death award to $9,75O, the weekly
compensation to $28.13, and the 25
per cent increase in the schedule for
permanent disability. will make pos
sible the payment for an arm, for in
stance, the sum of $4,625, as against
$4,000 now paid. A so per cent in
crease in weekly compensation in
cases of permanent total disability,
based on the new weekly maximum of
$18.75, will be possible
Under the present Workmen's Com
pensation Law an injured workman
or the dependents of one killed may
refuse to accept the Workmen's Com
pensation where a violation of law
full requirement is alleged, and may
enter suit TO rthe recovery of damages