WHAT THE OHIO

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HE workmen's compensation law or employers' liability law creates a state insurance fund raised by payments collected by the State Liability Board of Awards from both employers and employes. The amount collected is based upon the payroll or wage and the hazard of employment.

All the money so collected will be diverted back into the compensation channels, i. e., it will go to compensate injured workmen for their disabilities, and, as awards, to the dependents of killed employes. The state maintains the department out of the general tax fund.

"An injured workman shall receive no compensation for the first week of disablement. In case of temporary or partial disability he shall receive two-thirds of the impairment of his earning capacity during his disability, but not more than $12 nor less than $5 a week unless the wage received was less than $5 a week, in which case he shall receive full wage, nor for longer than six years from date of injury, nor shall a total amount of more than $3,400 be so received for such injury.

"In case the workman is permanently disabled he shall receive two-thirds of his average weekly wage until death, but in no case more than $12 nor less than $5 a week, unless the wage received was less than $5 a week, in which case he shall receive full wages. In case of death, reasonable funeral expenses (not more than $150) shall be paid.

"For medical, nurse and hospital services for injured employes the board shall pay what it deems proper (not more than $200) in addition to the award.

"In case of death where there are wholly dependent persons, two-thirds of the average weekly wage shall be paid to them for the remainder of the period between the date of death and six years after the date of the injury, but in no case more than $3,400 or less than $1,500.

"In case of death where there are partly dependent persons they shall receive two-thirds of the average weekly wage for such period as the board in each case may determine, but no longer than six years from the date of the injury causing death, nor for a total amount of more than $3,400.

"The average weekly wage of the injured person at the time of the injury shall be taken as the basis upon which to compute benefits,"

Employers of fewer than five workmen do not come under the provisions of this law.

If the employer elects to come under the provisions of this law and pays the premiums due into the state insurance fund and posts notices to this effect conspicuously about his establishment, then these notices constitute notice to his employes such as to bring them also within the jurisdiction of the law.

The law has the effect of dividing employers into two general classes, viz:

1. Those who employ less than five workmen or operatives regularly in the same business.

2. Those who employ more than five workmen or operatives regularly in the same business.

In other words, this act operates only on those employers employing five or more workmen or operatives, and those who employ a less number are subject to the liability law in force at the time of the going into effect of this act.

Under this act the employers of the second class above enumerated may, by choice or by willful act of negligence, come within any one of three classes:

1. Employers who employ five or more workmen or operatives regularly in the same business who pay the premiums prescribed by the State Liability Board of Awards into the state insurance fund, and who observe all the provisions of municipal and state laws relative to the protection of the life or safety of employes, and who do not wilfully injure any employe or employes. Such employers are not liable to respond in damages by civil action for any

injury occurring to any employe in the course of his employment, but the employe must resort wholly to the state insurance fund.

2. Employers who employ five or more employes or operatives regularly in the same business, who do not elect to pay the premiums provided for under this act. The employes of such employers, in case of injury, have no claim upon the state insurance fund, their only recourse being a civil action for damages brought in a court of proper jurisdiction. In such ac

tions, the employers are not permitted to avail themselves of the common law defenses of "contributory negligence," "assumption of risk," or "the fellow-servant rule."

3. Employers who employ more than five workmen or operatives regularly in the same business and who pay into the state insurance fund the premiums fixed by the State Liability of Awards, but who willfully inflict injury upon their employes or who disregard municipal or state regulations for the safety of their employes. The employes of such employers, in case of injury, have the option of either maintaining a civil action for damages, or filing

a claim with the State Liability Board of Awards for an award from the state insurance fund. Having once exercised their option, however, their decision is final, and they must abide by the result. (See Sections 21-1 and 21-2).

The posting of the notices prescribed in this section by the employer, and the continuance of the employe in his service thereafter, constitutes an implied contract between employer and employe to the effect that the employe will resort to the insurance fund only for compensation in case of injury.

The premiums provided for in this act shall be paid by the employer and employes in the following proportion: 90 per cent by the employers and 10 per cent by the employes.

The rates of premium will be used upon the total payroll and number of employes and fixed by the board after employments have been classified with respect to their degree of hazard.

All blanks for application for compensation or award and also for making up full proofs will be furnished free of cost by the board.

FFAIRS in the old Jackson Mansion moved with clock-work precision. One might truthfully reverse the statement and say that even the clocks were regulated by the movement of affairs. Each day of the week was divided into hours, half hours and fractions thereof,, each division of time bringing its allotted duties to the inmates.

This military exactness was maintained, enforced and further augmented by example of the Jackson Mansion mistress, Miss Caroline Hood Jackson. Some past the seventieth milestone, tall, stately, dignified of bearing-hated, loved, feared by those of the small Southern town who judged her by their own standards, but respected by all.

So much for a description of the principal character-or perhaps some reader may question who really was the "principal" in the little drama about to be enacted.

There is Violet Rose, "That Blessed Chile," and Liza Mary, all of whom had

much to do with bringing the plot to a successful issue.

When the curtain rises at precisely 8:30, on a sunny February morning, Miss Car'line is "discovered' seated at her desk, auditing the household accounts. Liza Mary is dusting the tall mahogany clock case in the front hall.

Violet Rose should have been "doing up" Mis' Car'line's breakfast caps, but as a matter of authenticity, she was not. Briefly, Violet Rose was huddled in the little "no back" rocking chair, turban awry, her apron thrown over her head. She rocked excitedly, emphasizing the forward movements by "stomping" her heels. Occasionally she addressed the kitchen range: "For the love of Gawd, what's Ah gwine ter do?"

Then she varied the monologue by singing such lines from hymnal melodies as might soothe her troubled mind, interspersing them by those of less religious tendencies.

Glory, glory hallelujah!

Away down south in Dixie!

Ah may be crazy but Ah ain't no fool." Violet Rose's musical tastes were vigorous if a bit confused in rendition. She always sang when under stress of strong emotion, and on this particular morning both lack of harmony and sequence were excusable.

The early mail had brought Miss Car'line's weekly accounts which were promptly delivered on a silver tray by Liza Mary.

The mail also contained a letter for Violet Rose-the third she had ever received in her 60 years of life, each of which had borne a Northern post-mark. Liza Mary had delivered this, surreptitiously, to its rightful owner.

And now as the state setting is placed, it appears awkward indeed to introduce a prologue, but in order to proceed a prologue must happen or the play will be as confusing as Violet Rose's musical efforts.

Once, upon a time, when Miss Car❜line was-well, heaps younger than when this. drama happened, a dreadful thing occurred in the Jackson family. Miss Car'line's "baby sister" just up and eloped with a good-for-nothing handsome stranger who was sojourning temporarily in the quiet little Southern town. Some said he was an actor, some claimed he was an artist, and others maintained that the scamp who stole the flower of the Jackson family was an opera singer.

Be this as it may. The fact remains that when the handsome stranger departed, the flower of the Jackson family, Miss Josephine, departed also.

Fortunately for her, "Missus Jacks'n's" eyes closed forever, shortly after Miss Josephine's were opened. "Ole Marse Jacks'n' just stormed and raved until apoplexy relieved him of further mental distress, leaving Miss Car'line to live down the family disgrace and live up to the Jackson dignity-alone.

O, it really was a most trying affair. To complicate matters, Miss Josephine was already pledged to marry the young scion of a proud old family and Miss Car'line's own wedding day was set-but isn't this sufficient prologue?

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Violet Rose ceased rocking and drew the crumpled letter from her bosom. With trembling black fingers she smoothed it on her lap. Adjusting the horn rimmed spectacles she read laboriously for the fourth time the missive signed by a doctor in a Northern hospital. "Mrs. Josephine Hemmingway's dying wish was that her son, aged 7, Robert Jackson Hemmingway, should be sent to you. The deceased entrusted barely enough money with me for his transportation and that of an attendant. The lad will arrive in two days from receipt of this communication."

Violet Rose straightened her turban, glanced at the kitchen clock. Already she was half an hour late in the day's routine. Stalking to the kitchen door, she called:

"Hyah yo' lazy niggah, ain't yo' got that clock dusted yet?"

Liza Mary, surprised at this unusual disturbance of schedule duty, dropped the duster and stared open-mouthed.

"Just yo' come hyah an' do up Mis' Car'line's lace caps. Ah's got business to 'tend to, Ah has, an' Ah's gwine to 'tend to it right now."

Brushing past the amazed Liza Mary, she paused a moment before Miss Car'line's sitting room door. Straightening her turban and re-tying her apron strings, she knocked.

"Come in." The mistress of the Jackson Mansion glanced her disapproval across the old mahogany desk.

"You know I am not to be disturbed at this hour," she began, but Violet Rose tossed regulations to the winds.

"Ah knows that, Mis' Car'line, an' Ah knows Ah ain't got no right to intrude inter you' private affairs, but yo' an' I was brought up together an' mah heart's that sick Ah don't know what to do."

"Explain yourself more fully, Violet Rose. You are assured of my help in any difficulty. Has the butcher over-charged, or

Violet Rose planted her feet and placed her arms akimbo.

"Ah ain't goin' till Ah's had mah say, an' after that if yo' want to dissever our connections Ah don't care, Ah's goin' to do mah duty. You'll remember, Mis' Car'line, that twice befoah Ah's got a lettah from Mis' Josephine. Once was when her first baby died an' the other time was when her no'count husbant went off an' left her.

"I done tole yo' 'bout those lettahs an' yo' just raised merry Cain over 'em. Now Ah's got another one this mawnin' an' Ah ain't reckonin' whether it cuts yo' heart or not, but that lettah says yo' won't hear no mo' from Mis' Josephine-cause she's daid"; Voilet Rose's voice rose wailingly at the last word and she flung her arms over her head.

Miss Car'line seemed to stiffen. Her lips trembled spasmodically, her hands grasped an ivory paper knife which she toyed with for a moment, then snapped in two.

"Is that all you have to say?" she askel in a voice which neither she nor Violet Rose recognized.

"No Mahm, that ain't all. Mis' Josephine's dyin' request was for me to look after her li'l chile an' Ah's gwine to do it."

"Josephine's little child?" whispered Miss Car'line.

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"Yass'm, her li'l chile. It's boy, Marse Robert Jackson Hemmingway," with defiant distinctness.

Her mistress picked up the pieces of ivory and fitted them together.

"How do you propose to assume this burden?"

Violet Rose rolled her eyes, turned on her heel and stalked towards the door.

"Ah reckon, Mis' Car'line, that Ah will assume the burden with the Lawd's help. Long's Ah's able to work there ain't no member of the Jackson fambly goin' to be brung up on charity nor goin' to no foundlin' 'sylum."

With this parting shot Violet Rose re

treated. As she passed down the hall her voice rose in song.

"Glory, glory hallelujah!

Let me to Thy bosom fly.

Ah may be crazy but Ah ain't no fool."

Two days later Robert Jackson Hemmingway arrived. Violet Rose installed him with the Baptist Minister's wife. Having no children of her own the good man's wife was delighted to welcome "Marse Robert."

He was a loveable little lad, "the picture of his daid mother," as Violet Rose proclaimed.

And now in pursuance with all well regto ulated dramas, the plot should begin thicken, and it will promptly proceed to do

So.

Although clock-work regularity had prevailed in the old Jackson Mansion since the late unpleasantness between mistress and maid, an icy demeanor prevailed on the part of both, closely resembling an armed neutrality. From some unknown source Miss Car'line had become acquainted with the fact that the only direct heir to the House of Jackson was domiciled in the same town with herself.

Too proud to question Violet Rose, too haughty to humiliate herself by encouraging gossip, she suffered in silence. Perhaps of the two Violet Rose suffered the more. She noted that her mistress' favorite dishes were brought back, untouched, by Liza Mary.

She noted, with growing concern, that Mis' Car'line "looked a hundred years ole, an' her clo's just hung off her like they was strung on a line."

Finally, Violet Rose decided to bring the drama to a climax.

"Things cahn't go on this way," she declared, "an' with the Lawd's help Ah reckon Ah c'n settle this mattah."

So, after due deliberation and having enlisted Liza Mary as first lieutenant, she proceeded to storm the beseiged fortress.

"If Mis' Car'line could just see that Blessed Chile, Ah knows she'd open her arms an' her heart to him"-that was Violet Rose's battle cry-and by strategy, victory descended upon her banners.

At exactly 5:30 p. m. on the fourteenth day of February the knocker on the old Jackson Mansion front door reverberated through the quiet house. Miss Car'line straightened her lace cap preparatory to