The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-01-11

schedule of benefits. Ny suggestion
Tor such reduction has already gone
I4eut to many, and will be presented
hereEHh-a copy going to each q
tcr HSr ycnr c ~. nse: ,s,..ns... =,
In connection with the suggested
to- direct attention to very remprk-
of our annual report, which has gone
to the governor and to the legislature.
It Is the statement of Commissioner
McDonald: N
II serve notice now that I will OF.
pose this amendment @for reduction
Of benefits) at the legislature, ana
further oppose this motion because
the figures given for Ohio, Mime
sofa, South Dakota and Montana are
unfair, az South Dakota ana Montana
especially have no compensation law
worthy Of the name and $50, 900 plus
given as the maximum for, North
Dakota. is misleading as there. never
has been a claim. award made by. the
North Dakota Workmen's Compensa-
ton Bureau anywhere near this
amount and il is practically an inn
possibility for any such award to be
meade
Right here I desire to acknowledge
that the laws Of South Dakota and
Montana are makeshifts, and to state
that ! should oppose with all the
force At nay command. the adoption
nfany schedules approximating those
6f either u these states. But let rs
leok into this. Mr.. Mcdonald is one
Of the signers of the following award:
Claim No. 1922 widow born
$780,. daughter. born 1864: son
horn, after death Of workman, TO-
1926; The liability Of the award
Figures, and the figures were in the
file when Mr.. Mcdonald made the
a. \. For widow +. sa0assos
For daughter 2A2l.l2 u
For SON 2,7n.SS
Total t2e,l20.DS
Now suppose that the widow had
been Of the age Of % years. had one
child one month old. one child ore
year old, and one child two years Oh.
We shall omit the fourth child ~ ]
do not desire to use up the fnH sixty
six and two.thirds per cent-end, BY
tie way, the widow In such case might
be only 20 years Of age. Here -
how the award would have TO be nade
because the Bureau has no discrstinn
in the matter once the ages, of the
dependents are fixed. The law de.
termines the amount.
$50 for rs years equals $16,22lOO
($1,014 per Year,
$3.50 for l year equals $500
46% for / year equals 702.o0
$3.50 for IS years equals 1sy6S0.0O
fREA2 ~eAA
These figures are on the basis that
the husband and father was earning
an average of 5000 per week at the
time or during the IL months pre-
ceeding. injury. ! total these Figures
at si,4s4,oo. lis that $4,000 plsa,
Asofher Claim for ExasAple -
Now take Claim No. 05S in which
the claimant, when injured, was e.
years of age. The injury resulted in
permanent total disability, and, under
the law. payment must be made for
life. Mr.. MCDONALD SIGNED THIS
AWARD In. 1921. The injured person
claimed wages Of $1,000 per week
but the finding Of the bureau 1t that
time was an average of $1,000 per
week. hence compensation is $500
per week. The life expectancy Of
this man is about 80 years. At $1,000
per week the bureau will pay $4,000
per year. Multiplied by 80 this
comes to 36.668.00. Is this or 10 it
not $4,000 plus? In addition to this
however, there was paid for medical
and hospital care the sum Of $2,211.0l,
making the total eS7,770.8l.
Suppose, however, and again, that
this claimant had been Is years Of
age instead Of 81. Just ask an linsur.
ante agent what the life expectancy
would be. and figure the amount out
for yourself. And, by the way, if
you have read the LaMoure Chronicle
or the Fargo Forum recently you will
have noted that the length Of life is
10 or Is years more than the Mortal
ity Tables claim.
Take the matter Of "unfairness"
and misleading" from another angle.
have in my possession q letter from
the Industrial Commission Of Mime
sofa which states that when perman-
ent awards are paid in. lump sum,
partially or in whole, they discount
At the rate Of. 8 per cent. We dis
count. under our law, at 4 per cent.
Note, also, the citations at the end
Of my comparative tables which deal
with the matter Of medical and hos
pital care. Our allowance is unlimit-
ed as to time or amount, and do
not. believe it to be necessary to
change It at this time. b this or j.
this not q pertinent question at this
SevH1k., -. ~ =