16 



BULLETIN 711, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In addition compensation through liability laws tended to create an 

 antagonistic feeling between employer and employee. 



About one-half the States have passed worlanen's compensation 

 acts which provide for the payment by the State of specified sums to 

 workmen for injuries received in the course of their employment, 

 without the necessity of expense or delay. Both Washington and 

 Oregon have worlonen's compensation acts. In Washington the pro- 

 visions of the act are obligatory on both the employer and the em- 

 plo3''ee, the employers being required to pay monthly to the State a 

 percentage of their pay rolls, the rate varying according to the hazard 

 of the various occupations. In Oregon the act is of the presumptive 

 elective type. While employers have the right to elect not to become 

 subject to the act, they automatically come under its provisions if 

 they do not serve written notice of rejection on the State. Employees 

 in Oregon are also required to pay 1 cent for each day or part of day 

 employed, the employers being authorized to make the collections. 



In Washington the maximum rates have proved higher than was 

 necessary, making it unnecessary for the operators to contribute 

 toward the fund each month. The basic and assessed rates for the 

 different departments of the logging operation for 1912, 1913, and 

 1914 were as follows : 



Table 3. — Rates of the Washington loorkmen's compensation act. 





Basic 

 rate. 



Assessed rate. 



Average 



Class of work. 



1912 



1913 



1914 



net 

 equiva- 

 lent rate 





Months 

 called. 



Net 

 equiva- 

 lent rate. 



Months 

 called. 



Net 

 equiva- 

 lent rate. 



Months 

 called. 



Net 

 equiva- 

 lent rate. 



for 1912, 



1913, and 



1914. 



Railroad construction 



Railroad operation 



Per cent. 

 5 



5 

 5 

 2.5 



6 

 6 

 6 



8 



Per cent. 

 2.5 

 2.5 

 2.5 

 ].67 



4 

 4 

 4 

 11 



Per cent. 

 1.67 

 1.67 

 1.67 

 2.29 



10 

 10 

 10 



8 



Per cent. 

 4.16 

 4.16 



Per cent. 

 2.78 

 2.78 



Railroad maintenance 



Logging proper 



4. 16 2. 78 

 1.667 1.87.5 









In Oregon the basic rates for the classes of work performed in log- 

 ging are : 



Per cent. 

 Railroad construction .5 



Railroad operation 5 



Railroad maintenance 5 



Logging proper Si 



The Oregon act makes provision for the assessment of lower rates. 

 Where the accidents in the case of a given employer during the first 

 year he is operating under the act do not require the State to pay 

 out an amount in excess of 50 per cent of the employer's payments 

 during that period, the employer's rate during the second year is 



