, 1960-07-30
Continued from Thursday

men Compensation Act to give increased benefits TO dis
abled workers. The governments insurance fund should
not be permitted to discard workers who lose their eyes,
their feet and their hands, when there are tat SURPRISES IN
the Government Insurance Fund. There is no justification
for building up a huge surplus in the Workmen compensa-
tlon fund, while disabled workers suffer as a result OF q
tight-hsted, hard-boiled policy.
e are offering legislation to protect go.e1na-nt Gil
pioyees from unfair disrnissals. Hundreds OF employees IN
private enterprise, through union agreements, are protect
ed against such abuses. Government employees should pc
given the same protection. Il the proposal Is dlsapproVeo
by the governor, we are going to request that the Leglsla-
ture override the veto and have the decision made by the
President of the United States, for there is not q single
state in the Union where a merit system act IS IN erect,
which does not give to a disciplined government employee
an opportunity to make a final appeal to a personnel
board. We live in a democracy, not a dictatorship. All dc
ara opprobrious, whether they are heavy-nand-
ed or benevolent. It is alien to the democratic concepts 10
give to any man the power to hire and to fire, then Tor INN
to sit as Judge to make a final decision on his own action.
We have been pussyfooting with this matter for too long.
Let us have a decision now-once and for all.
Since the enactment" Of the Virgin Islands Code
and use the word enactment In quotation mafks.a new
schedule Of hospital fees should have been prepared and
submitted to the legislature for approval. But this has not
been done They are still enforcing fees which are out
dated. We are offering legislation which would exempt
persons earning less than a specified sum from paying ices
at the hospital.
All of us are aware of the high cost OF medicine. IRE
ouently, when a person goes to a doctor or to the hospital,
and a certain drug or medicine is prescribed, the person
cannot 1T the PRESCRIPTION filed because OF its high cost.
We have offered legislation to establish a medicine fund
to Dive assistance to persons who cannot afford to buy
medicine and drugs.
In wears past, workers at the Virgin Islands CORPORA
s:~n alvuavs enjoyed the benefits of wage increases enact
ed by our insular legislatures. But two years ago. when
TTn:+- Dartvvfasin the legislative dogho1se, a last one was
pulled. with the smiling but nevertheless cruel SupDorc y
the leadership Of the Second LEGISLATURE. and a bill was
proposed in Congress which was fully backed by the Sec
ord legislature. which clearly. specifically, exempts the
Virgin Islands Corporation from the provisions OF any VI
oin Island law regarding wages. and which gives the sole
rc,vor tn the Virgin Islands Corporation to fix its own
wage rates. regardless of what wage rates are IN effect n
the Virgin Islands.
That was quite a raw deal for politicians to give TO
their constituents. This bill is the. reason why nunoreoS
If amnlovees Of the Virgin Islands CORPORATION havo -
hope of higher wage. regardless st what wage rates are
set and are followed here in the Virgin Islands. It means