A, ~ -
(By E. E. Ritchie.)
The workmen's compensation lav
of Alaska has been declared consti
tutional by the courts. This was ex
pected because courts are reiuctan
to lay themselves open to the chargi
of usurping legislative powers. In thii
case the courts have said that if tin
law is defective it is up to the legislu
ture to amend it.
That the law ought to be amendef
in order to make it a real compensa
tion law is easily demonstrated. Sev
eral amendments passed the senate
in I he legislature of 1917 but wer<
killed in the house. The vital objec
tionn to the law as passed in 1911
are such that a mere statement o
them seems to state a sufficient de
mand for their correction. The fol
lowing amendments have been sug
gested:
1. A provision for compulsory ar
bitration, such as several states now
ba ve.
* 2. Amendment of the method of giv
ing notice of intention to reject the
law, or of a change of attitude regard
ing it.
3. Amendment of some provisions
of the schedule of compensation, par
ticularly for partial disability.
4. —The law, which now applies only
to mining, should include all other
hazardous employments as compensa
tion laws do in the States.
Compulsory Arbitration
First. Compulsory arbitration is a
feature of the compensation laws ol
eeveral states. The arbitration provi
sion of the Illinois law was incorpor
ated almost verbatim, one section be
ing taken from Nevada, in an amend
ment which passed the Alaska sen
ate of 1917 but was defeated in the
house. An arbitration plan which
works satisfactorily in a great indus
trial state like Illinois and in a sparse
ly settled mining state like Nevada
ought to do fairly well for Alaska,
but corporate lobbying defeated it.
The arbitration plan offered pro
vides that ip case of injury to an
employe if he can not agree with the
employer on the measure of compen
sation under the law either party mav
serve notice on the other of a de
mand for arbitration and in such case
•each party must name an arbitrator,
the two arbitrators to name a third.
If they cannot agree the judge of the
district court is to name the third ar
bitrator. The arbitrators meet with
in a few days, take evidence and
make an award. Either party is al
lowed an appeal from the award to
the dstrict court within twenty days.
It is hardly necessary to suggest that
there would be few appeals from
awards made in this way.
The existing law simply gives the
injured workman the right to sue in
the district court. How that works is
shown by tlie history of a recent Val
dez case. A man was injured in a
mine in January 1916; his case was
tried* at Valdez in January 1917; the
judgment was affirmed by the circuit
court of appeals in January 1918, and
, the plaintiff will probably get his
money in March 1918.
Notice of Rejection
Second. The law of 1915 provides
that an employer or employe who does
not wish to be bound by the law musl
file notice in the recorder’s office ol
the precinct in a form prescribed, bul
a manifestly unfair advantage is giver
to the employer, without doubt inten
tional. He simply has to file his notict
on the employe, swear to the service
and then file the notice.
From this it is plain that the em
ployer in every case is given actua
notice. The employe can get actua
notice of the employer’s position onl;
by consulting the record. For exam
pie, a miner working at Eatouche i;
obliged to consult the record at Val
dez, ninety miles away. When the re
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at Chitina a miner at the Kennecot
had to examine the record at Chitina
seventy miles away, to learn the con
pany’s position regarding the law. No
only that but it la the privilege of th
/employer, as it is of the employe, t
reverse his previous position on th
law by filing notice, but with this di
ference. The employe again has t
give personal notice to the employe!
ho merely has to file his notice, at
recorder’s office, many miles away i
most cases.
That this inequality in giving n<
tice was intentional seems evidei:
from circumstantial evidence. Man
of the provisions of the Alaska a<
are taken verbatim from the Kanst
law, but the Kansas law requires an
pie notice to be given by the emplo
er without any expense or trouble I
he employe, of the employer’s ele
tion or refusal to accept the provisioi
of the compensation law. Here Is tt
Kansas provision:
"Notice of such election or will
' drawal shall be forthwith posted b
- such employer in conspicuous place
- in and about his place of business."
Equality Not Wanted
■ Nothing could be easier or faire
! than this. But the corporate lobbj
ists who jammed the Alaska “compel
Nation law" through the legislature o
1915 omitted this provision while the;
were lifting half of the Kansas lav
bodily into the Alaska act. It is hard
ly necessary to argue that they wen
not working for “pitiless publicity” it
the matter of notice to employes.
Third. While the allowance in casi
of death is liberal in view of the fac
| that it includes all cases regardlesi
| of negligence, the allowances for crip
pling and other partial disabilities an
small.
Fourth. The act applies only t<
! mines, in every one of the thirty-five
.states which have real eompensatio?
laws all hazardous employments art
j included. Why should such a lav in
elude only mining in Alaska, and ex
clude sawmills, railroads, canneries?
The answer is easy. The Alaska law
was enacted by and for the two big
; Juneau mining companies. They fore
| saw that within a short time an hon
est compensation law would be enact
i ed in Alaska. The demand was grow
j ing. So they took time by the fore
iock and secured the enactment of ar
j emasculated law that contained every
thing usually found in such laws tc
the advantage of the employer and lefl
out as much as they could of usual
provisions useful to employes.
Amendment of the compensatior
law ought to be an issue in the cam
paign of 1918 and candidates for the
legislature forced to declare their po
sition.
I
FATHER SENDS GREETING
TO HIS SON IN FRANCE
A Cordova father sent the following
patriotic effusion to his son, who en
listed in Uncle Sam’s aviation corps
and is now “somewhere in France”:
We are with you, boy, through thick
and thin,
We are all allied in one blood kin;
[We extend our hand, with a reasaur
ing shake—
We know that you will make the Hur
quake.
; You must feel and know that yom
mother is nigh—
In your airplane flight so swift, and
high—
i That a sweetheart is watching tftal
mud-defiled trench,
Boombed and battered by hell fire and
foul gas stench;
I And your father can see that long line
of Huns
Driven, and Inspired, by me undt Got!
and sons.
The self-appointed master of a natior
of serfs
Mobilized and drilled since the days
of their births.
En masse, in formation, like the sillj
( buffalo,
| They blunder forward to strike i
cowardly blow,
! A nation of house servants, always
awaiting command,
| Cowardly, crying “Kamerad,” whei
caught in our land.
Military weaklings they, in the sem
blance of man,
] Their brutal power directed by an un
holy clan.
Your fraternity is applauding, you
courage sublime,
• As you drift hither and thither in cor
quest divine.
II And your old home towrn with yoi
r will acclaim
' The fruits of your victory in den
! ocracy’s name.
" Down the road of greed, where m
met Gott at the cross roads c
3 fate,
t ....
A sign board is there pointing t0
autocracy and hate.
Me embraced this road with fiendish,
joyous glee,
1| Tis thus he has established his bloody
family tree.
j TiH the road °t death, malice, super
stition, ignorance, and scorn;
! Tie <he road of power, and leads to
the wrath of America's gninar
t- les af corn,
y, Unrlt me says to Gott, "xow Gott,
Bj nhust you follow on behind;
j You may sit in mine woodshed while I
clearly define
r My doctrine, that might makes right.
and proletariat man.
- Is a footstool for kings, and divine
f Vatican..”
' Remember, dear lad, we are with you
r throug pain,
In your joys and sorrows, in sunshine
s j and rain;
i Through screaming missiles of death
dealing flame,
: We never for a moment forget your
dear name.
.-__
ID DM MW
uoFMirm
If you’re the mother of a son whWa
offered up to Mars; who goes to fight
against, the Hun and gather battle
scars, though you may smile through!
blinding tears whene'er he marches
by, your mem’ry goes’ to by gone years
when he was just so high. When at
your knee he said his trruyer and then
"■ns tucked in bed and' you bent u'er
and kissed each hair upon his curly
head. Off he went to the* Land of Nod.
blessed by a mother's kiss, w'hile you
stood there and thanked /our God for
such a son as this. While'to the world
he’s just one more to fight for what is
' right, to you he’s still the child or yore
that you tucked in at night.
Full well you know that Uncle Sam
I takes care of body ills and feeds him
j good on eggs and ham and ,fishes out
| the pills; of homelike things you
j doubtless fear your boy is sadly lack
ing. It’s just these things ihat give
I him cheer the Y. M. 0. A.'s Backing,
ft gives him picture shows ,it night
and games to play with others, it gives
to him a place to write to you and all
his brothers. It has for him a cheer
ful place to rest when he is weary.
He's greeted with a smiling faivwhen
life is blue and dreary. If yoiftfe the
mother of a son and know wharfhe is
needing, you'll appreciate what ill has
done in gfving him good i~xr<?0iip,
You’ll find them ail throughout the
war, along tho army’s tracks, so all
, you folks keep boosting for the Y. M.
C- A., shacks.
-»
NOTICE
By order of the Attorney General
of the United States:
All Germans who have not taken
out their full citizenship papers must
. report to the postmaster between the
dates of March 18th and 23rd and be
registered.
Aliens will give strict attention to
this notice as any alien who fails to
register will be prosecuted.
F. R. BRENNEMAN,
tf U. S. Marshal.
-«
Bargain Notice—For sale one four
foot fireproof safe, three National cash
registers. Adress Prospector. Valdez
i
Aunty
Keating’s
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f Opposite city Battery.
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, The Chesterfield blend
y hasinitthehighest-grade
1 Turkish tobacco that
3 grows. They Satisfy—
and yet thov’re MILD.
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I OUR GROWTH.
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Deoosits as reported to the Territorial
Banking Board under dates of
FEBRUARY 10, 1915 . . . $192,265.67
7, 1916 . . . 282,355.00
15, 1917 . . . 458,688.55
14, 1918 . . . 513,580.89
Our Deposits on Feb. 25, 1918 were S
l $547,981.06 i
THIS GROWTH is a reflection of the 4
I increasing prosperity of
| this community
■ First Bank oi Cordova f
| We offer you every banking facility that a strong,
conservative, completely equipped bank may render
Commercial Department Drafts and Money Orders
Foreign Department Payable in all parts
Savings Department of the world
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SECURITY SERVICE SATISFACTION
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NOTICE.. j
TSe Star of the East Auxiliary will
merit at the home of Mrs. Jack Sapiro
on Monday afternoon at 2:.>» o'clock ;
Everybody inviteI.
MillS SOPHIA SCO I T.
FISH OF ALL KINDS
HALIBUT, CODFISH and
RHD SNAPPER
Ice1 Box fo?r Perishables. Big Stock
AJSvays can Hand
CORDOVA FRUIT MARKET |
i Headquarters of Cordova
Chapter American Red Cross.
Club House founded in 1908
by Episcopal church. Open
from 1 p. m. to 10 p. m.
REV E. P. ZIEGLER
Supt
i
( PHONE
-66
* P
GERMS
Completly
Annihilated *
m
■
Work Called
For and
—- ==5
No siipthod work. Delivered
Our cleaning and ironing pro- ......
~ cess is the moat efficient in .
— Modern
We launder everything. I O | j H fj f\/
We launder thoroughly. U I I U I j ■
I GIVE US A CHANCE at A J°"es-'
You, Work and YOU’LL Proprietor
NEVER GO ELSE- FIRST AVENUE
WHERE Below Alaskan Hotel t
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Sixty Steam Heated Rooms Eletric Lighted
Hot and Cold Water in Every Room
\ With or Without Bath.
Cordova House
DOOLEY AND GREENIG
Headquarters for Railroad and Mining Men
Satisfaction Guranteed
Rates Reasonable
* .■■■■■..... . .- ■ ■ ..... ./
Fine Mob Printing at thejTimes Office