Workingmen’s Compensation Act 
Became Effective July 1. 
The so-called Workingmen’s Com- 
pensation act, which became effec- 
tive July 1, provides that in an ac- 
tion to recover for personal injury 
sustained by an employee in _ the 
course of his employment, or for 
death resulting from personal injury 
so sustained that it shall not be a 
defense that the employce was negli- 
gent, that the injury was caused 
by the negligence of a fellow em- 
ployee, or that the employee has as- 
sumed the risk of the injury, as have 
been previously recognized in such 
cases when brought before the com- 
mon law suits. 
The act also creates a state insu- 
- rance company intended to provide 
insurance for those accepting the act 
as cost- The acceptance of this act 
is not compulsory on the part of 
either the employers or employees. 
The employees may give notice 
that they reserve their rights and 
- intend to sue at common law. Should 
they do this they will be in exactly 
the same position as before the pas- 
sage of the act. Their employers 
will then be lable for such damages 
under the common law as may be as- 
sessed by juries, whether or not the 
employers have accepted the act. 
The employers also may refuse ac- 
ceptance and take their chances at 
common law. If they do accept the 
act, however, they will be lable as 
set forth in the act to such employees 
as have accepted it and liable under 
the common law to those who have 
not. It is, believed, however, that 
the act is a long step forward in 
bringing about a more mutually sat- 
isfactory method of adjusting the 
questions of such liability as are con- 
_ stantly arising. 
It is provided in the act that the 
employees who accept its provisions 
shall receive in case of death or in 
jury the following benefits; medical 
and hospital services during the 
first two weeks after the injury. 
Weekly payments where the injury 
incapacitates the employee for a 
period exceeding two weeks from 
earning his full wage. In case of 
death resulting from the injury those 
wholly dependent upon the injured 
person get a weekly payment of one- 
half his average weekly earning (but 
not more than $10 nor less than $4 
a week) for 300 weeks. Those part- 
ly dependent get lesser amount and 
where there are no dependents the 
expenses of the last sickness and 
burial not exceeding $200 are re- 
quired to be paid. 
For certain specific injuries the 
following amounts which are in ad- 
Re -- 8 ey — 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
33 
dition to all other compensations, 
are to be paid: For the loss of both 
hands, both feet, one hand and one 
foot, a reduction of one-tenth of nor- 
mal vision in both eyes, the employee 
gets a weekly payment of one-half 
his average wage (but not more than 
$10 nor less than $4 a week) for 100 
weeks: For loss of either hand, eith- 
er foot, or either eye, one-half the 
weekly wage (but not more than $10 
nor less than $4 a week) for 50 
weeks. For loss of two or more 
fingers (including thumbs or toes) 
at or above the second joint, one- 
half the average weekly wages (but 
not more than $10 nor less than $4 
a week) for 25 weeks. For loss of 
at least one phalanges of a finger, 
thumb or toe, one half the average 
weekly wage (but not more than $10 
nor less than $4 a week) for 12 
weeks. 
In ease of total incapacity the in- 
jured employee gets one-half the 
average weekly wage (but not more 
than $10 nor less than $4 a week) up 
to 500 weeks—or $3,000 maximum. 
If the employee is injured by rea- 
son of the serious and wilful mis- 
conduct of the employer or any per- 
son regularly intrusted with and ex- 
ercising powers of superintendence, 
the amounts of compensation as 
above are doubled, and the employer 
is himself liable for this extra com- 
pensation. 
The operation of this new act is 
under the supervision of an indus’ 
trial accident board of five appoint- 
ed recently by the governor. 
The Bay State Street Railway Co. 
announees its decision to accept this 
act. 
B. F. Keith’s Theatre. 
For the third tremendous week of 
their remarkably successful engage- 
ment, ‘‘The Meistersingers’’ will in- 
troduce a number of new features, 
in addition to new songs. The com- 
bined Harvard, Schubert and Weber 
male quartets have created a veri- 
table sensation in their new specta- 
cular scenic production, ‘‘Camping 
Out,’’ and as a result B. F. Keith’s 
Theatre is packed to the doors 
nightly with an enthusiastic crowd. 
All those who have not already seen 
‘“‘The Meistersingers Camping Out”’ 
should lose no time in visiting the 
‘‘Amusement Centre of Boston’’ 
and witnessing the greatest summer 
attraction ever staged, for the en- 
gagement is drawing to a close and 
but one more week remains of a 
positively limited engagement. ‘*‘The 
Meistersingers Camping Out’’ will 
be surrounded by a splendid vaude- 
ville bill. 
‘*Ladies First.’’ 
This was the simple command 
given by the officers of the 
steamship Titanic after her eol- 
lision with an iceberg on the night 
of the 14th of April. 
It was not a mere phrase of cour- 
tesy. It did not mean that men 
should step aside for women, as a 
man might give precedence to a 
woman in a street car, or in enter- 
ing a hall. It meant that, with a 
supply of lifeboats and rafts suffi- 
cient to save only one-third of the 
passengers and crew, the men should 
give place to the women. The men 
were stronger than the women. They 
might have crowded into the life- 
boats and rowed away. But they 
did not. They helped the women to 
safety, and themselves went down 
with the ship. Out of all on board, 
only a handful of men, aside from 
those needed to man the boats, were 
saved. 
The Journal of Education, com- 
menting upon this fact, rightly said: 
““The world must surely be better 
for the spectacle of multi-million- 
aires and the other men passengers 
helping women and children into the 
lifeboats and confronting their own 
death with composure.”’ 
This is true. Yet what happened 
on the Titanic is precisely what 
would have been expected to hap- 
pen. The whole world would have 
been shocked if a different order 
had prevailed. It was the instinct 
of the average man in his relations 
with the average woman,—the in- 
stinct of care and protection and of 
sacrifice when necessary, which was 
manifested at that tragic moment. 
Is it too much to hope that, im 
view of this typical and significant 
incident, suffragists who have busied 
themeslves with attempts to arouse 
sex antagonism will relax their ef- 
forts in that direction for a little? 
At least until this incident is forgot- 
ten, let it be admitted that the 
average man, up and down the soctal 
scale, is neither a brute nor an 
enemy of woman. — (From July issue 
of ‘‘The Remonstranee,’’ the organ 
of the Massachusetts association op- 
posed to the further extension of 
suffrage to women.) 
Stag Brand Shirts $1 at 
Central square store. 
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