CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS
There was a time when most employers and employes thought that they were
the only factors to be considered in the adjustment of industrial
conditions. Enlightened employers and employes long ago learned that in
the final analysis the public is the arbiter as to whether conditions
are just or unjust, right or wrong.
The National Association of Manufacturers, in its work for compensation
and prevention of industrial accidents, started out with the theory that
the first essential requirement to the furtherance of equitable
conditions is a knowledge of the facts—all the facts, for half knowledge
leads to wrong conclusions. To meet this requirement we made a thorough
study of foreign compensation systems. The next requirement, it was
felt, was prompt action in line with sound conclusions.
Voluntary systems of prevention and relief have been established by
numerous American employers which compare favorably with European
conditions, but on the whole the United States is far behind other
civilized nations in these matters. Employers are not more nor less to
blame for this condition than employes, legislators or the public. We
each and all need education; we need to get in tune with the times.
For many years much time and attention at the board meetings of the
National Association of Manufacturers have been given to the
consideration of accident prevention and relief plans. In common with
other humane agencies, the association has felt that the economic loss
due to accidents, enormous as it is, is as nothing compared with humane
considerations. It has taken the stand further that prevention is even
more important than compensation.
Three years ago the conclusion was reached that the time had passed when
attention to these problems in the abstract was to any extent effective,
and that results could be secured only by practical campaign methods.
Macaulay’s truism, “The only knowledge that a man has is the knowledge
he can use,” has been the basis for the efforts which the committee,
formed at that time and entrusted with this work, has carried on during
these three years.
The spirit in which the committee’s recommendations have been received
and acted upon by members of the association reminds me of Emerson’s
statement: “Every good and commanding movement in the annals of the
world is the triumph of enthusiasm.” We have found enthusiastic support
everywhere. Our misgivings at the outset that the campaign would result
in the loss of the more conservative members of the association proved
to be groundless.
Our interrogation blanks, mailed to 20,000 American manufacturers early
in the committee’s work, brought forth the largest reply in the
association’s history. Ninety-nine per cent of the members answering
expressed themselves emphatically in favor of an extended progressive
campaign for accident prevention and compensation for injured workers.
At the last three annual conventions of the association, the greatest
attendance was during the reading of the report of the Committee on
Accident Prevention and Workmen’s Compensation. Many meetings in various
parts of the country dealing especially with the committee’s work have
been so well attended that no doubt exists today in the mind of a single
official as to the need for keeping the committee’s work well at the
head of the association’s activities. The wonderful increase in
membership of the association during the last three years is another
proof that the members desire to maintain an aggressive and constructive
part in settling the social and industrial problems with which the
United States of America and other industrial nations are confronted.
Progressive employers know that social legislation is not only desirable
from a humanitarian viewpoint, but necessary from an economic
standpoint. Thinking business men realize that sound social legislation
is both a human duty and the best safeguard against militant Socialism.
Sound social legislation will bring us the efficient, organized,
co-ordinated industrial peace of the bee-hive. Militant Socialism will
bring us the industrial peace of the grave.
The three years’ campaign of the National Association of Manufacturers
has been along the following lines:
1. A strenuous campaign has been carried on in all the states for laws
providing automatic compensation for injured workers or their
dependents and support has been given to all reasonable bills, as the
association realized that a perfect and uniform workmen’s compensation
system for the whole United States can be secured only step by step.
2. Members have been urged to support state compensation laws wherever
these are optional, regardless of the fact that this means in many
cases an increase of 300 to 1,000 per cent in insurance rates.
3. Special efforts have been made to have manufacturers organise their
own relief association, preferably in co-operation with their workers,
for the reason that such systems have most effectively reduced
accident rates as well as industrial unrest.
4. Model workman’s compensation bills have been prepared and widely
distributed. These bills are at present before the legislatures of six
states. While they cover the whole subject, the committee urged an
especially strong educational campaign for the recognition of three
essential principles in compensation legislation, viz.: that a good
workmen’s compensation law must encourage accident prevention; assure
compensation, preferably by compulsory insurance, and cover all
wage-workers. It also attempts to provide that doctors’ and lawyers’
fees shall not rob the injured.
Correspondence in connection with the campaign with legislators,
lawyers, insurance men, employers and workmen amounted to an average of
twenty-eight letters a day for the last year.
On the association’s suggestion, enlightened insurance officials have
adopted resolutions providing for a limitation of business-getting
expense in workmen’s compensation laws.
So much for compensation work. Toward a practical accident prevention
campaign we have, however, devoted our greatest energies. Two
experienced safety engineers have been placed at the service of members
and so great has been the demand for their services that there are
engagements for more than six months ahead at this time. As this service
is charged for at a rate which makes it self-sustaining, this means
something more than interest—it means enthusiasm on the part of
employers in our accident prevention campaign.
The work of the safety engineers consists of inspection of factories and
making special reports for improving existing conditions which
manufacturers have almost uniformly acted upon; advice regarding safety
devices, shop safety organization and other means of preventing work
accidents; practical instructions to superintendents, foremen, engineers
and workmen in regard to safety devices; and illustrated talks with
lantern slides and motion pictures to workers, as well as employers,
especially to local organizations of both. An important part of the
campaign is the establishment of local safety organizations with the
work in every plant inspected placed in the hands of some one person.
Numerous employers and business men have, as a result of our advice and
practical work, engaged safety engineers for their factories. The
campaign has so increased the demand for experts that the supply is
inadequate and open letters have been written to engineering colleges
urging them to establish a special course of training leading to the
degree of “safety engineer.”
Local “safety revivals” have been conducted in many parts of the
country, with some member of the committee present as the principal
speaker. James Emery, my associate in this work, and I have spoken on
the subject of accident prevention or workmen’s compensation on an
average of once a week for the last three years. We have constantly
agitated for safety museums.[6] A special effort has been made to get in
touch with factory inspectors and to urge the keeping of statistics
bearing upon accidents.
Footnote 6:
It is not betraying confidence when I call attention to a movement
inaugurated by Congressman Robert C. Bremner of New Jersey and Lewis
T. Bryant, labor commissioner of the same state, to establish a
national safety museum at Washington. Letters and newspaper clippings
indicate that President Wilson is in favor of such a museum and every
voter of the country should get behind Congress to give such a matter
prompt and favorable consideration. Every European nation has a number
of such safety museums where can be found on exhibition safety devices
for the protection of working men in every field, not only for
accident but for sickness. A national safety museum in Washington
would materially stimulate the safety movement and it would be a
fitting monument to the spirit of the times.
The co-operation we have established with insurance companies, both
stock and mutual, promises to be a most effective means of establishing
a system for rating risks which, in the same manner as fire schedule
rating, shall provide subtractions and additions of insurance rates
contingent upon the accident prevention activities of each insurer. Many
insurance companies are endeavoring to arrange for central inspection
bureaus for rating good and bad risks.
A colored “safety” supplement has been established for _American
Industries_, the official monthly magazine of the association. The
interest of the members in this safety supplement is shown by the fact
that 5,000 extra copies were ordered after the supplement’s first
appearance. Another effective means of educating for safety is the use
of motion pictures which have been prepared partly at the expense of the
National Association of Manufacturers. These are distributed through
regular motion picture channels all over the United States. Several
thousand lantern slides are being used for educational lectures before
the general public, interested organizations and college classes.
The safety campaign was one of the factors that led to the organization
of the National Council for Industrial Safety, which had its first
enthusiastic meeting four months ago. This new organization plans an
annual gathering to take the form of a national “safety revival” and an
international safety convention during the San Francisco exposition.
Every phase of the association’s work is being supervised by members of
the committee who are divided into sub-committees. Although the
committee’s efforts are a work of love, the members receiving no
compensation whatever, the association’s activity for workmen’s
compensation and accident prevention has cost approximately $50,000
during the last three years. The board of directors consider this money
well spent and, judging by present sentiment, will not only continue,
but increase their efforts in future. Our safety campaign is too young
and too widely spread as yet to give accurate figures for results.
Perhaps the best sign of its success is the mass of enthusiastic
testimonials from association members to the value of our experts’
inspections and advice. The following partial figures will, however, at
least give some idea of concrete results:
Two hundred and seventy-six members of the association have placed a
special man in charge of their shop safety organization during the
last year and a half.
Several dozen manufacturers claim to have reduced their accidents in a
campaign of from one to two years from 10 per cent to 50 per cent.
In more than fifty cases the safety campaign has brought about a
better appreciation of general efforts in the direction of sanitation
and welfare work.
Twenty or more establishments have established sickness insurance in
co-operation with their employes, as part of their safety campaign.
Old age and invalidity relief is being considered by several dozen
large manufacturers now as part of the safety campaign.
A dozen or more mutual insurance and relief associations have been
established among certain classes of manufacturers, such for instance,
as laundries, millers, etc., and accident prevention is invariably one
of the most important, permanent features of such mutual
organizations.
In another year the association hopes to make a thorough survey of the
20,000 members originally addressed in the safety campaign. This will
make it possible to show in figures the results of the association’s
efforts along these lines.
My experience of many years with associations of manufacturers and
business men convinces me that, regardless of popular impressions, the
large majority of captains of industry believe that “the gauge of their
success is the assistance they give others to succeed.” Unfortunately,
the every-day grind of their work does not permit many well-intentioned
business men to know much about social legislation and about the
advantages of co-operation and good will. I have found them exceedingly
anxious to secure information about these matters and to act in
accordance with sound advice.
The following extract from one of the committee’s communications to the
members indicates our sentiments:
“Remember that the most important factor in this endeavor is the right
spirit. Without a spirit of progressiveness, without co-operation
between the officers and members of organizations, without harmony and
co-operation between yourself and your superintendents, foremen and
workers, it is useless to attempt a campaign for safety. We
manufacturers of the United States of America have a reputation for
ability, energy and initiative all over the world, and we cannot, we
must not, fail to make good.”
Let me say in conclusion that I do not share the prevailing pessimism as
to the industrial outlook in the United States. I repeat that there has
been an awakening in recent years. Social legislation has made rapid
progress. We need to maintain and increase our attention to these
matters. Employer, employe and the public need to get closer together
and this can be best brought about by a thorough knowledge of industrial
conditions and publicity without fear or favor to any class. If we each
and every one strive to that end, then is being fulfilled Tennyson’s
worthy charge to
“_Ring out the slowly dying cause And ancient forms of party strife,
Ring in the nobler modes of life With sweeter manners, purer laws._
“_Ring in the valiant men and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand,
Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the light that is to be._”