The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-02
DISCUSS MASS.
COMPENSATION
Law AT BOSTON
Vol Not Enthused at
State Insurance
BY BERT MILLER.

ny DEh miGGGns
BOSTON, Oct. S1.-Under the pro-
gressive leadership of John A. Van
vaerenwyck, president of the Massa-
chusetts branch of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor. the labor movement
of Massachusetts is making a strenu-
GUS effort to place upon the statute
books of that state compensation
law which shall include a number of
far-reaching and progressive features.
At a hearing begun on Wednesday.
October q, at the Massachusetts state
house a membership delegation of la
Dor Representatives from all parts Of
the state and also from the executive
council of the A. F. of L. appeared.
among the latter being a number of ma
tional vice-presidents, such as Vol,
Frey and Duffy. Mr.. Green was un-
able to be present. The fact that
these prominent labor men are ap-
pearing on behalf of senate bill SIS
shows what significance the local la
Dor movement attaches to this bill.
Provides State Insurance.
The bill which is being advocated by
the Massachusetts labor movement
centers mainly around the feature of
state insurance as against private in
surance. The bill raises the minimum
from 81 week to $40 week, the
maximum from SIS to S21 week, and
the total payment from $4,000 to
I $1,000.
The bill lays out in specific form
the compensation to be paid for par
ticular insurance on far higher basis
than the present law. Penalties are
provided for employers who fail to
comply with the provisions of the bill
and bonding feature is also included.
The present waiting period is elimi-
mated and compensation is demanded
from the date of injury.
VOL Half-Hearted.
Mr.. Mathew Vol, vice-president of
the American Federation of Labor, ap-
peared. In support Of the bill he ar
gued that the state feature was saw.
ing to both employer and employee
alike, that it cut down the overhead
cost of insurance from 40 to 4 per
cent, and that it insured the solvency
of the insurance fund. Mr.. VOLTS pre-
sentation was weak in comparison
with the strength of the case for which
ne was pleading, and he failed to stand
his ground when questioned by mem
bers of the insurance commission.
For instance, when questioned as to
whether or not he would want the
state to be financially liable for the
Isolvency of the fund. he hemmed and
hawed and did not answer the ques-
zion directly. When asked whether he
was in favor of selfinsurance he again
straddled the question, in spite of the
fact that self-insurance offers the en-
ployers a convenient way out of tie
ing up with the state fund.
Would Aid Employers.
Another question which was put to
Mr.. Vol was whether he was in favor
of experience ratings, whereby the en-
ployer determined for himself the
basis of insurance on the strength Of
his past experience. Notwithstanding
the fact that the employers would thus
have a means of doctoring up their
figures and cutting the cost of insur-
ance Mr.. Vol refused to come out
fatty against this proposition.
Mr.. Vol did not even come out
fatty against the SIS maximum which
at present exists, and stated that he
had no opinion as to what the maxi
mum ought to be. He also voiced no
opinion on such an elementary ques-
ton as the length of the waiting pc
riod. Mr.. VOLTS attitude thruout was
one of justifying the bill on the basis
Of the saving it would mean for the
employers, and he said: 1--WE are just
as much concerned about protecting
private property and the inviolability
of private contract as anybody else"
A Fitting Question.
Mr.. Vol had, in fact, to be asked
by a member of the commission as to
whether or not he was speaking for
the employers. The hearing will con-
tue for the rest of Wednesday and
Thursday 1t is to be hoped that the
other representatives of labor will
speak more strongly in behalf OF the
progressive measure which is pro-