The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-03-19

main differences in the new bill from the act now on the books:
 Tt is made compulsory for an employer to insure or show his ability to pay.
 1 Administration is by an In- dustrial Board-composed of the Commissioner of Labor Auditor and Attorney General-instead of ! by the courts. No administrative agency has authority to prosecute claims now.
 3-Coverage is increased to in- olude employment of one or more persons instead of the old five CT more demarcation.
 4-Occupational disease is cover ed and employees nc longer must contribute to medical care.
 5-Temporary disability benefits are not deductible from permanent disability payments.
 GA second injury fund is pro- vided. This is regarded as mot new but progressive legislation" It is particularly advisable in view of returning, partially disabled war veterans.
 Dependent Children 7-Age of dependent children is raised from 16 to 18 years.
 Compensation schedules are the same as in the present act. Commissioner Sharpe stated his belief that the much discussed in surance provision of the bill is not generally understood or it would not be condemned.
 Second Division Senators, from Frank Whaley, the chairman of the meeting, right down the line, were in the forefront of Sharpe's questioners. They pleaded the plight of prospectors working to prove out their claims by pay on bedrock" hiring.
 While Senator Brownell was locking for means to assure that every employee would be covered no matter what, majority of the Senate seemed of the opinion there should be some exclusion for casual and emergency labor Brownell also asked for stiffer penalties for will full violators.
 Sharpes answer to queries as to why he had not adopted the terri torial fund in framing the bill, was that he does not consider it prac- tical with Alaskas sparse popula- tion and the seasonal character of her two major industries. He also said he did not think an industrial fund measure could be passed, while this type of bill possibly can be.
 The led Cochran to remark that he would hate to see Sharpe cam paigning on the Kougarok with this bill pasted to his back. De- claring he wouldn't mind at all Sharpe asked the Senator if he would vote for an industrial fund measure. Yes, was the hesitant reply.
 Andersen TeStittsS
 Al Anderson, Alaska Miners Asso- citation Secretary, was the second witness. He stated employers gen. orally would choose the private in surance provision to the state fund proposal.
 He cited experience in such sparsely settled states as Idaho, where frequently injured workers find their claims pro-rated be- cause of insufficient funds and em- ployers find rates going up, up, up till they become unbearable.
 Anderson also suggested inclusion of some casual labor provision as is in the Unemployment Compen sation Act, to remove the greatest source of irritation from the bill
 He agreed with Sharpe that ad- lministrative costs of territorial fund would be too great to bear
 Representative Curtis Shattuck ealled on for estimate of insurance premium rate increases under the proposed bill, reported guests rang ing from 10 percent to 35 percent but discounted the higher figure. Senator Allen Shattuck suggest ed locking to the States for guid-