The Cotton Factory Times. — 1915-04-30 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

THE EDITOR OF TR! FACTORY MOIR." Sir,—The point raised in your issue of the 16th by " Approved Member" is neither new nor novel, but is a point that him many times led to un• pleasantness as between members and approved societies. To toy reading of the Act. the section clisling with compensation cases in the manner raised by youo correspondent is both vague and unsatisfactory, arid is leading some societies to hike one course and some another.  Re one society proposing to charge the cost of such action against the member and the Commissioners refusing to pats such rule. it may interest your readers to know flout the At states definitely fiat:— Where an insured person appears to be entitled to any such compensation or damages as aforesaid, and UNREASONABLY refuses or neglects to take proceedings to enforce his claim, it shall b• lawful for the society or committee concerned either: •  Secretary Cttn.irie-avers' Protective Associstion. New Bedford, Msss..  _ --(a) At its own expense to take in the name: and on behalf of such person such proceedings, in which ease any compensation or damages recovered shall be held by the society or committee aa trustee for the insured person; or (of lo withhold payment of any benefit to Which, apart from this section, such person would be entitled. In the event of the society or committee concreed taking proceedings as aforesaid, and fail. :ng in the proceedings, it shall be responsible for the cost of the proceedings as if it seen claiming on its own account.  Now (a) distinctly staten who is to pay cost of proceedings, whether the case be won or lost. fiocietiee eon see this, no when they get a case of this kind they put At into operation, and withhold benefit. If I undeimand "Approved Member" aright, this is what he hoe had brought to his notice. Unfortunately there is some truth in his hatement, and it is quite easy for any society to refuse to pay on the ground that the member ought to claim compensation. It ought to be that the society should pay, and then recover if they can. One cane that came to my knowledge had a tragic ending. An approved member, a non. unionist, was injured. and although the firm admitted liability the insurance company concerned refused to pay. Being a non-unionist, there was am one to fight the oar. for the inhered elan, so the approved society of which he was a member non approached, but refused payment on the grounds that it was a compenestion case. The eve dragged on for a few weeks. and was sliddenly terminated hy the approved member committing suicide. Worry and uncertainty had done their work, and a valuable young life was sacrificed to the ambiguous wording of this section of the Act. One other °see. An arrproved member whom I how was injured at work, and. being a nonanionia, was afraid to approach hie employers, who are a very powmful combination of capitalists. ! Rather than face them he declared on the funds of ! kis society, but the latter declined to pay on the ! Prods that it was a compensation caw. They I Perused to help him out if he would make a claim hr compensation, which he did. with the result hat he got compensation, a larger not than he would bave received as sick Pal. The obvious moral of the above canes is that all who possibly can ought to join • union, no that their cases c,an be fought out. Of course, I can see that even a union could not meiot in the two Verific cases given by your correspondent, yet we must remember that it was the master clans who Cu responsible for the clause in the Act which Coo designed to destroy the value of the ComPensation Acts. This clause has led to the cases like those raised by your correspondent, and 1, for one, would no bane the words altered as to , inflict no hardship or worry on an approved member. Better still, can no scheme be devised whereby the two benefite can be kept separate and Mann.? I think there can, and when the geesfini of amending the National Insurance Act is .gtin before Parlament I think our Labour mombeet w-ill be able to solve the riddle.—Yours. etc.,