The producers news., 1930-05-09
BY JAMES d. GRAHAM
President Montana State Fedora
ton of Labor.

President Montana State Fedora
tion of Labor.
Forty-tour states have a Work
mems Compensation law; ana
Montana is known nationally as
being one of the laggard states OF
those having Workmen's Compen-
satlon.
The proposed amendments TO
the Compensation Act are lar
from radical, though they may
possibly appear so to some on ac-
count of the backwardness OF The
existing Montana law. The amend
ments which are proposed relating
to the compensating features for
injuries are already part Of the
law of other states. They contain
nothing that has not been tried,
sustained by experience, and that
is not now in operation in other
states.
We are accused Of going to the
extreme in Section 2913, where
we propose that those who are
completely disabled should receive
compensation during the perioC
that they are disabled. Yet Ari
zona, California, Colorado, Idaho
Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Ne
4 vada, New Jersey, New York
Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Washington
and West Virginia all pay TO tn
completely disabled for life pen
sion for life. Maryland, Minneso
ia, North Dakota, and Wyoming
have no specified limit to the tim
that the permanent cripple sha
be paid; and Wisconsin pays fo
double the time that Montan
does.
Pay More In n. Y.
The maximum amount that
paid in New York is four dollar
more a week than we propose; an
California pays a maximum OF ~
week greater than Montana. A
that we ask is that a worker WI
is made a permanent cripple whi
earning his living in the indu
tries, creating wealth for the su
enrich be not allowed to live {
. charity, or end his days in Il
. poor house at the expense of Il
taxpayers. In this view we a
> supported by Chief Justice Gall
: way of the Montana Suprer
! Court in a decision rendered In
2 compensation case on March 70
: and concurred in by Assocla
a Justices Angstan, Ford, Galen a
. Mathews. The Chief Justice sa.
"The law contemplates that
burden of caring for injured wol
men and their dependents shall
= fall upon the public in gener
but upon the industry"
Give Employers Option
We are not attempting to fo1
all employers to come under
Compensation Act; but mer
irving to have the law give
employers an option to come
der the act in the same way
II prevails in Indiana, Iowa, Mas
"a chusetts, Michigan, MinnesC
Sa Nebraska, Nevada, New Jers
Pennsylvania, South Dakota
West Virginia.
The following states allow I
"a ployers to come under the u
81 pensation Act provided they
NJ ploy a specific number OF VIC
$N Alabama (16); Maine co.; c
III necticut (5); Delaware (5); u
IN gia (1O); Kentucky (S); Mise
g 71O): Rhode Island (6); Tenne!
| (5); Texas (3); Vermont &
Virginia (11); Wisconsin (S).
The following states make
compulsory to all employers
II come under the Compensation
sc- California, Idaho and North ID
~ ia: in Arizona, Ohio, and Utah
. EMPLOYERS employing three
more workers; and New York
- nlovers with four employees
81 compelled to come under the
: nensation law. Illinois, Maryl
Z oklahoma, Washington, and
! oming make it compulsory in
Z ardous occupations.
I Hazardous Industries Only
! The only states where the {
! nensation Act applies to haz
pus industries only, and leave
! ont;onal with employers to
! ,,pJer the act are Kansas, Lo
! ana Montana, New Hamps
! New Mexico and Oregon.
! Here in Montana there ar ar
! n,n,ber Of irresponsible, fly
I'd night contractors who wiii