WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 173, 13 July 1908, Page 4

WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

THE NEW AMENDING MEASURE. FAE-KEAOHING AMENDMENTS. The Workers' Compensation Hill pro poses to repeal and re-enact the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act, 1908, with a number of modifications. The claim to compensation is extended to all classes of employees engaged in the trade or business of their employer, whatever the nature of that trade or business. The only persons excepted are employees whose average remuneration exceeds £5 a week. Ser-

vants of tho Crown, local and public authorities, bodies corporate of every description, and persons engaged in hazardous employments are all included. No employer is liable to pay compensation to any relative employed by liim. In the case of total dependency the maximum is increased from £4OO to

£SOO. A sum not exceeding £2O is to be added to the compensation payable for funeral and medical expenses. The lump sum in lieu of weekly payments is fixed at the present value of the weekly payments that would be received. (Tile present law contains uo definite provision). Compensation for partial incapacity is fixed at half the total wages, just as compensation or total incapacity is and has liecn half the total wages. Weekly payments are in every case limited to six years. At present all workers permanently incapacitated eventually receive the same aggregate amount, regardless of the amount of their wages, because the same maximum is fixed for all. The new provision makes the total eonijiensation vary with the wages received by the worker at the time of the accident. The maximum sum is raised from £3OO to £ffoo.

Certain specific injuries have fixed rates of compensation, allotted to them. This will avoid any dispute as to the amount of compensation in these eases. Additional compensation is awarded "workers permanently injured while under twenty-one years of age. Compensation is given for certain diseases incurred in the course of a worker's employment. The benefits of tiie Act are extended to all seamen enpaged in Xew Zealand ships, whether Ihe accident happens in Xew Zealand wafers or not.

Exclusive jurisdiction in compensfttmhi eases is given to the Court of Arbitration.

With respects to contracts., the principal U made liable if the following conditions are fulfilled:—The work to W done inu-4 be directly a part of the principal's own trade or business, or nm«t be hazardous work done under a contract worth at least £2O; and the accident must happen on premises nvned. -occupied, or controlled by the principal.

Provision i» made for the limitation of legal costs in proceedings for torni pensation. The Employers' Liability Act is repealed on the ground that it is now superlluX)us. I nder the Bill a worker has two remedies: —If he can prove personal negligence oil the part of the ma-der, he can sue at common law for damages; "whether the master is negligent or not, the servant can sue for compensation under this Act.