The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-09
'WENZEL MAKES
STATEMENT AT
NATIONAL MEET
c Commissioner Has Just Re.
turned to Bismarck from
Gathering in New Jersey
DISCUSSED ACCID EMIT
State Commissioner Points
Out That Garages Are Be.
coming Problem

1 That the North Dakota Workmen's
!. Compensation Bureau has a great
problem in coverage of laborers in
!. small plants is brought out in a
!. written statement by r. Z. Wenzel,
! commissioner.
I Wenzel presented his statement,
: which refutes statements made by
: the chairman of the convention. be-
). fore the annual convention of the
: International association Of Indus
I. trial Accident Boards and Commits
/. sions at Paterson, N. j.. . short
! time ago.
: The substance Of Wcnzel's state
s ment follows: Il said, and say
again, that North Dakota has the
s small plant problem to the nth de-
gree. 1t hasn't the problem from
the standpoint OF the exclusive
state-fund lso-called) states. Il
hasn't the problem Of getting the
small plants covered, but it has the
problem to the nth degree, because
moro than so per cent of the total
number Of classifications covered in
North Dakota have nothing but
small plants, and that, notwithstand-
ing the fact that we have reduced
the total number Of classifications
from 245 to 100 since my appoint
ment rs = commissioner five years
ago."
Accident Cost Increases
Evidence Of growing recognition
Of the mounting accident cost in all
states and the. consequent need Of
directing attention to accident pre-
ventioi1 work was marked at the
annual meeting. according to the
report of the convention made by
Mr.. Wenzel upon his return to Bis
marck.
1.-THE prevailing view seemed to be
that while safety devices and safety
regulations were essential. the more
far-reaching results were to be
achieved through programs Of
safety education among employees.
In this particular field Of work the
du Pont de Nemours company, Will
mington, DEL, has been q leader,
and it contributed materially to the
presentation of facts pointing to the
need for such safety education and
Of factors that had contributed to
the reduction in the number and
severity Of accidents in their own
plants. A booklet, outlining their
safety poster contest, and covering
1O4 common undesirable conditions
and notwithstanding practices, was
distributed at the meeting"
The following papers were sub
mitted ut the convention: "What is
being done for safety in Canada :"
by r. B. Morley, Toronto: "What
accident prevention can d." by John
p. Meade, Massachusetts,; and
Safety education in industry a. 1
means Of preventing industrial acct
dents," by Thomas P. Kearns, Ohio.
The dangers of certain paints to
Wofkmen, especially to automobile
painters, are discussed freely ut the
meeting. Wenzel had the following
to say concerning garages: II am
convinced also from the discussion
.sen this particular subject, that there
81 another field in which our garages
3nust make improvement, and that
s1peedily. Our rates for garages
have increased from $1.25 per 500
* payroll in 1923 to 50 per 800 Of
payroll in 1928. yet the deficit for
HAT classification has grown from
l413, 900 to over $4,000. Most as
Remaining results have been achieved
elsewhere by the installation Of
proper vsntilating systems in these
working places, and the figures that
q have just quoted certainly indicate
:that something Of the kind must be
attempted here"