11. Compensation allowed.—The compensation does not apply for the first fourteen days of injury.
Medical aid is provided; this includes surgical ap paratus.
If the disability be total the compensation is two thirds of the average weekly wages with a maximum of $15 a week, and a minimum of $5, not to ex ceed in the aggregate of $3,500. There are certain injuries which are constituted permanent total dis ability.
If the disability be partial, as the loss of a hand, arm, foot, leg or eye, the maximum compensation is $20 per week and the minimum $5. In other cases of _ partial disability, two-thirds of the loss or re duced earning capacity of the injured person, with a maximum of $15 per week and a minimum of $5.
The total sum cannot exceed in the case of temporary disability $3,500.
If the employe be killed, a reasonable amount, usu ally $100, is allowed for funeral expenses, and 30 per cent of the wages to the wife or dependent hus band during widowhood or dependency. Should the widow remarry, two years' benefits are allowed. In addition to this there is 10 per cent addition for each child under 18 years of age. Should there be no widow or dependent child, 15 per cent is allowed to each dependent grandchild, brothers and sisters under 18 years of age; while to parents and grandparents 25 per cent is allowed. _ The total may not exceed two-thirds of the wages up to $100 per month, and any excess over that sum is not used in computing the benefits.
The companies reporting to New York State for the year 1915 showed receipts of $31,850,000 for work men's compensation. This would not include all the business of the country because some companies do not operate in New York State, and in some states private companies are not allowed to operate. It would be fairly safe, therefore, to increase this $31, 000,000 by at least $10,000,000 to secure an adequate idea as to the sums now being paid for workmen's compensation.
The first report covering injuries reported and other data for the first seven months of operation (July 1st, 1914, to January 31, 1915), are as follows: Number of notices of injury filed by employers 130,723 Number of claims received from employes Number of claims in which initial awards were al lowed 15,218 Number of claims in which subsequent awards were allowed 3,712 Total number of awards allowed 18,930 Number a claims disallowed 982 Number of claims pending 2,707 Number of completed claims set for hearing 3,314 12. Prevention methods.—Traveling hand in hand
with the compensation which takes care of the injured party we have a movement fostered by the companies and the states that so far as possible improvements shall be made to properties, safety devices installed, and a spirit of cooperation introduced, in order that accidents may be prevented. This is deemed, and justly so, the far better course to pursue than to allow an individual to be injured and then compen sate him or his dependents.
In connection with prevention, it should be pointed out. that so far as the machinery is concerned there are certain limitations to this kind of work. A large number of the accidents (the greatest percentage) arise not from defective machinery, but from other cases. Hence, if we had perfect machinery and could assume that all these might be eliminated, it still would leave a great majority of injuries to be taken care of that arise from other causes.
The Industrial Board of Illinois in a compilation of 16,774 non-fatal accidents for the year 1915 showed the causes as follows: Machinery 16.0 per cent Falls 18.5 per cent Falling objects 22.4 per cent Lifting or handling materials 10.9 per cent Hand tools (hammers, knives, etc.) 5.6 per cent Stepping on nails and other sharp objects 3.0 per cent Acids, flames, explosives, hot liquids, glowing metal, etc. 7.0 per cent Flying fragments (emery splinters, etc.) 4.4 per cent Animals (kicks, bites, etc.) 1.7 per cent Not stated 10.5 per cent 13. Workmen's compensation insurance in Canada. —Eight of the nine provinces have in force in 1918 workmen's compensation acts of various types. In Ontario, Nova Scotia and British Columbia, the State Board administers the act and insurance companies are prohibited from competing with the state. In Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Alberta and Saskatchewan the companies only transact the busi ness but the individual employer (with the exception of the province of Manitoba) is permitted, if desired, to carry his own risk.