The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-14

three railroads in Alabama are re- 1 porting accidents to shop men. Thou 1 sands of trackmen, section hands and l others are left with no organization | to look after their interests in case | of accident. Trainmen proper con 1 stitute but approximately one-fourth l of the total railroad employees. shop 1 men excluded. The act should also 1 clearly define what stevedores and 1 longshoremen are engaged in ad- | miralty activities.
 Under the present act settle l ments may bo made for an amount substantially the same as the spe- ! cific benefits of the act, which l leaves settlements within the discre- ton of the court. There Is a conflict | in the same section as to the court Jurisdiction in making settlements; l in one subsection the authority Is | fixed in the circuit court and in an- other in the probate court. The rights | granted to an injured workman l should not be waived by any court l or individual.
 l "In view of the fact that a num- 1 Der of employers. subject to the law, l are on a precarious financial basis. ! less favorably situated to install 1 safety devices, and operating a haz- ardous business, it is highly desira- ble that some form of bond be re- quired o. self-insured employers for 1 the protection of injured workmen in case of financial disasters. In such plants the injured workmen now have no protection whatever. Advocates Fine
 'eThe act should be amended mak- ! ing 1t a misdemeanor and punishable ! by fine for any employer to charge | his insurance premiums against any | of his employees. The acts benefits 1 should be extended to cover occupa- l tional diseases and disfigurement. 1 When minors are illegally employed
 and injured. in violation of the child
 welfare act of Alabama. the compen-
 sation paid by any employer should be increased 100 per cent.
 "The waiting period under tho
 Alabama act, of the 14 days following
 an injury before compensation be- ! gins, should be reduced to seven CD
 days. compensation beginning on the
 morning of the eighth day after the
 accident and becoming retroactive to
 the first day of disability upon the
 twenty second day after the acci-
 dent. The workmen's compensation
 laws of several states in the union
 do not allow any lapses from acci-
 dent to beginning of payment. A
 number have three days, more still
 have five. whereas those states that
 have IA days waiting period are re-
 ducing to seven days. or less. as
 fast as their legislatures meet.
 'The present percentage of pay
 ments in non-fatal cases should be
 increased from 50. 55 and 50 per cent
 of the average weekly wages to 55.
 60 and 66 2-3 per cent. The weekly
 maximums of sl2, $l3, s14 and s15
 should be increased to Sl4, s16 SIS
 and $20. The present limiting of dependents in non-fatal cases to
 children under IS years of age
 should be changed so as to apply
 to all persons totally dependent on
 the injured workman regardless of
 their relationship. and Including the 1 wife of the injured man
 Urges Increased Award
 l The schedule of awards for per manent partial disabilities should be l restated and considerable increases l specified. There is no reason why l an Alabama workman should be all l lowed 50 per cent of his weekly wages for 20 weeks for the loss of l an arm, while in New York and oth- CT states. the workman Is paid 66 2-S l of his weekly wages for S12 weeks. l The same discrepancy prevails for as sight, hearing, etc.
 'In fatal accidents the payments should stop at the marriage of the