FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION.

The bill establishes a separate fund in the Treasury to be known as the employees' compensation fund. The bill appropriates $500,000 to establish this fund and provides that there shall be added to it such sums as Congress may from time to time appropriate. The commission is to submit annually to the Secretary of the Treasury estimates of appropriations needed for the maintenance of the fund. The amount here appropriated is deemed ample for the first year. It is, indeed, thought that the expense will be somewhat less. The committee has secured an estimate of the cost under this bill prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the basis of the cost under the existing law and of the probable number of accidents which will occur in the future. (Hearings, Jan. 28, p. 48-52.)

This careful official statement shows there were 2,467 claims made during the year ending June 30, 1913, under the present law. It is estimated that under the proposed bill there might have been 2,316 cases added, but of these 1,464 were for a period varying from 3 to 15 days.

With a reduction of the rate of compensation to two-thirds of the pay, and the limitation of $663 as the monthly maximum amount that any workman could receive as compensation, regardless of the amount that he may be receiving as earnings when employed, there would be afforded a degree of stimulus to return to work, while the opportunity of continuing unemployment without loss of pay would be withdrawn. It is believed, therefore, that the proposed bill would involve an expense for the first year not exceeding the amount named, namely, $500,000, and in all probability falling below it, by reason of the fact that in the $482,000 paid out in the year 1910-11, for instance, there were many cases in which the amount of compensation paid was to persons receiving in excess of $663 per month as benefits.

Indeed, of the fatal compensated cases during that year under the act of May 30, 1908, 22 of the 119 received from $900 to $2,500 for the year's benefits, while of the nonfatal cases for that year 810 of the 2,818 compensated cases were of workmen receiving from $900 to $2,500. Under the bill in question no year's payment on account of an individual injury could exceed $800.

Referring now to the fact that the Government is at the present time paying out between four and five hundred thousand dollars under existing laws, which provide for full payment of wages during the term of disability, not exceeding one year, it is evident that the substitution of a law providing two-thirds pay during the term of disability would reduce the expense for the first year by one-third, in so far as the law applies to persons receiving benefits under existing laws. Inasmuch as at least one-half the additions would be for short-term disabilities, it seems probable that the extension of the law to cover all classes of employees would result in no actual increase in the amounts expended.

It was the estimate of Dr. Meeker, Commissioner of Labor Statistics, that, since the annual increment of continuing cases would be less than S per cent, it would take four or five years for the obligations created by the McGillicuddy bill to equal the expenditure under the present law. (Hearings, Jan. 28, p. 30.)

Mr. Miles M. Dawson, a consulting actuary of New York, who, at the request of the committee, made an estimate of the probable cost of this bill to the Government, stated that the cost the first year would approximate one-tenth of 1 per cent of the Government pay roll and gradually rise to a maximum, to be reached in 30 years, of one-half of 1 per cent of the pay roll.

It is therefore, by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, recommended that said bill (H. R. 15316) do pass.

CHANGE NAME OF STEAMER “NORMANIA” TO “WILLIAM F. STIFEL."

MAY 12, 1916.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be

printed.

Mr. BURKE, from the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. 4760.]

The Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4760) to authorize the change of the name of the steamer Normania to William F. Stifel, having considered the bill, report the same to the House with the recommendation that it do pass.

When the committee had a similar bill under consideration (H. R. 12650, which has been reported from this committee) the bill was referred to the Department of Commerce for report, and the following letter was sent to the chairman of the committee:

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE,

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
Washington, March 30, 1916.

DEAR JUDGE ALEXANDER: I have received your letter of the 25th instant, inclosing copy of H. R. 12650, a bill to authorize the change of name of the steamer Normania to William F. Stifel, and requesting me to furnish you with such suggestions as I may deem proper touching the merits of the bill and the propriety of its passage.

It is not possible for the name of a vessel to be changed if there is any indebtedness against her or if she is not seaworthy. It is presumed that in this case there are bonds or other outstanding indebtedness which render a special act of Congress necessary in order to secure the change of name. It has been our practice to approve such bills provided the vessel has a certificate of inspection in force showing her seaworthiness. Respectfully,

Hon. J. W. ALEXANDER,

WILLIAM C. REDFIELD, Secretary.

Chairman Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries,

House of Representatives.

The certificate of seaworthiness required has been furnished by the owners and is on file with the Senate Committee on Commerce.

The reason for having the name of the steamer changed is that the Ottawa Transit Co. has just purchased such steamer from the Ashtabula Steamship Co., its former owner; that no one connected with the Ottawa Transit Co. is in any way interested

Tremona ir sat seater and fair business reasons in the managesut fesher I ate trees wir dence to change her name to Willsam ALL THAT I E Let un de mange be made before the steamer goes into I ar te ler esan a nerve re be confusion in changing the the summer, regers to charters and in respect to her

e insan bones & Lux 3. a houder of the mortgage upon said and yet set my ten sus m Le teróicate of the collector of customs dar Toor. Wir de mece of id steamer and particulars cue then ruin tem mumer use and place of inspection and examiL DOT, all be name of her of the vessel.

De waanus amsing then the owner of the Normania, Jams in the seamer the ardian Savings & Trust Co., * Than D secum on see or bonds to the amount of $77,000. v turet ir ne paid, and therefore the legislation MEMEL, I remmended by the committee.

64TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. REPORT 1st Session.

BERKSHIRE COUNTY TROUT HATCHERY, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAY 12, 1916.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. BURKE, from the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, submitted the following