The people's voice., 1957-02-08
Major Workmen;s Comp.


embracing northw estern Montana, re-
lated to the committee the difficulties
facing the heavy earth-moving field
in keeping skilled operators Of cranes,
shovels, earth-movers, and cats in
Montana Major reasons for this prob
lem, he said is the gross inadequacy
of the workmens compensation act.
and the low rate of unemployment com
pensation benefits available to men
employed in such highly seasonal work
as highway construction.
Shovel operators and others follow
ing the construction trade, CrossWhlte
pointed out are fully aware as to how
dangerous their work is and they are
reluctant to stay in Montana, knowing
full we'll the inadequacy of cOmpensa-
ton. Result is there is a constant
emigration of these skilled workers
to such states as Oregon and Washing
ton where both disability and jobless
comp. benefits are considerably higher.
BURDEN ON DISABLED TO
PROVE DISABILITY
Attorney Huppe, in sharing rebuttal
time with Mine-Milps attorney Arnold
Olsen, exploded a number of tall" as
sertions put forth by the opponents OF
improving the law by emphasizing to
the committee that the burden of
proving jOb-cOnnected disability is al
ways on the plaintiff (the worker).
Huppe also asserted the only reason
many employers carry wOrkmen's com
pensation is to avoid court suits which
could cost them many many times the
cost of compensation insurance pre-
miums.
Noting the emphasis Corette and
other employer spokesmen placed on
how improving the act would en-
danger corporate soIvency, Huppe
read into the committee record the
statement in TIME Magazine con-
cerning the rosy profit picture of
the Anaconda Company and the ma
tons major oil companies. (Time
item reproduced on page one, this
issue.)
Former Attorney General Olsen told
he committee that everyone, includ-
ng employers, agreed that the present
aw is totally inadequate". He also
lwelt at some length on charts pre-
ented by Corette, which the latter had
Ised in seeking to prove that Mon
ana's act was one of the better state
avs in the nation. Taking material
;orette had presented, Olsen pointed
ut error after error in the Anaconda
Company lobbyists presentation, while
ssuring the committee he was not
ccusing Corette of deliberate misrep-
the latter just wasn't
p to date on his material.
Olsen, too, dwelled on the theme that
lrger compensation payments are not
lbor's final goal. Cheap compensation,
e said, however, will not hasten the
ay when labors goal of accidentfree
ldustry arrives. Only by making com
ensation insurance prohibitively high
ill much of industry become safety
onscious, and when it does, compen-
alton rates will become progressively
,wer as the accident rate is reduced.
In the meantime, he said I'VE need TO
ay for the loss of human machinery
lst as we assume the cost of replace
ent of other machinery as a cost of
Ding business.
THEIR SPEAKERS
Other spokesmen for labor included
rnie SjOman, Butte Miners Union No.
John L. Luke" McKeon, speaking
= Anaconda Smeltermen's Local III
AIRY McEldridge, an injured Ana
,nda Company worker and member
Local III
Employer spokesmen besides Cor
tie, were Jim Haughey, Montana Oil
Gas Association; Howard Burton,
'eat Falls attorney and employer rep
sentative; William Maloney, small
ining association; William j. Bow
an, representing contractors of Bill
lgs area, and Joe McCaffery, Butte
torney, representing small mining
sociation.
Rep. Wayne McAndrews (D-Deer
,dge) ably chaired the three-hour
lg hearing.