Evening star., 1932-12-09

rules Of admiralty and maritime juris-
diction.
The act Of May IT, 1928, made appli-
cable to employers and employees in
the District of Columbia the provisions
of the longshoremen's and harbor work.
ers' compensation act, thus extending
the principles of compensation to pri-
vate employment In the District Of Co
lumbia. Compensation under both of
these acts is paid by the employer
through an insurance carrier author
lied by the commission or direct as a
self-insurer under conditions prescribed
by the commission. The cost of admin
istration in both cases Is paid by the
United States.
Section Al Of the act of March 4,
1927. requires the commission to make
studies and Investigations with respect
to safety provisions and the causes of
injuries in employmentS covered by the
act and from time to time make to Con-
greSS and employers recommendations
as to the best means of preventing in
juries. To comply with this require
ment the commission has established a
safety division in charge of safety
engineer who has been engaged for
several years in the study of marine
accident-prevention problems and the
development of national safety code
The laws administered by the En-
ployees' Compensation Commission nat
urally divide themselves into two classes
namely, % the original law covering
benefits to be paid by the Federal Gov
ernment to its civilian employees, and
(2) the longshoremen's and harboI
workers act Qater extended to cover
private employees in the District OF
10y v,t,i H1v,aGfr x. H.
paid by certain private employers Cor
| their insurers) to their employees. The
| administration of these laws Is singu-
larly different and distinct, there being
few functions bearing any similarity
In the case of the law covering Federal
| employees, there IS broad discretion
resting in the commission in determin-
| ing the measure, extent and service
connection of disabilities alleged BY
! claimants, and the commissions au-
thority to determine the rights of the
claimants Is absolute and final On the
other hand, the functions Of the COM
mission under the longshoremens aci
are primarily those of regulating the
acts of certain private concerns in the
administration of the provisions of the
law with respect to benefits they are
required to provide for their employee,
who suffer injury. This law specifies ir
great detail the kind and extent of the
benefits required under all conditions
and while the commission is given gen.
| eral authority over the administration
of the law such as the appointment anc
assignment of personnel, the location
and provision for field offices, the fur.
nishing of appropriate forms and the
PRONUNCIATION of rules and regulations
the authority to adjudicate contested
claims Is specifically delegated to dep.
uty commissioners located in the severa
field offices, whose decisions are review,
| able not by the commission but by tn,
Federal district courts.
The functions Of the commission II
the administration of this law ar
closely related to the functions Of tn,
department charged with the welfar,
Of labor. Such important industria
States as Illinois, New Jersey, New
/ York, Ohio and Pennsylvania have rec
ognized this close relationship by ex,
tending the jurisdiction of their cen
tralized labor departments to include
the administration of workmen's com.
pensation laws. A similar organization
is proposed for the Federal Government
by the transfer to the Department o1
Labor Of the activities, powers and du-
| ties of the Employees Compensation
Commission relating to the administra-
ton Of the longshoremen's and harbol
workers act approved March 4, 1927
and the act approved May II, 1928
providing compensation for employees
in private industry in the District oi
Columbia.
I have pointed out elsewhere thai
the administrative duties, powers ano
functions of the Employees Conpen-
sation Commission relating to the ad.
ministration of the laws providing CON-
pensation on account of injuries sus-
tanned by civilian employees of the Fed.
eral Government and the municipa,
government of the District of Colum.
bia should be transferred to the Civil
| Service Commission and that the
Employees Compensation Commission
should serve in an advisory capacity tt
the Civil Service Commission.