of this ideal. Remedial as well as preventive measures are necessary.
Provisions must be made for the victims of modern industry. These
include (1) medical and surgical care, (2) educational or rehabilitation
work, in order that the injured worker may become economically independent so far as possible, and (3) financial assistance in the form of social
insurance.The common generalization that the enterpriser assumes the risks
of industry is not entirely true. Although he assumes important financial
risks for the capital invested, which may justify the existence of profits,
the worker bears many of the so-called "human" risks of industry.
Previous chapters have indicated that there is no guarantee to labor of
a living wage, and the following chapter will discuss the problem of
economic insecurity and unemployment. In addition to the constant
hazard of occupational accident or sickness, there is also the hovering
spectre of a dependent old age.For the financial compensation of those individuals who are the
victims of the hazards of modern economic organization, social insurance
has been developed. This is an application of the principles of insurance
to the human risks of industry, the financial incidence of which is diffused
throughout society in general. Although often voluntarily undertaken
by private corporations and by trade unions, social insurance implies
the element of compulsion, general application, and governmental
supervision. State subsidy is justified because of the reduction in the
number of appeals to public and private charity.Workmen's compensation laws provide for a remuneration to the
victims of industrial accidents in proportion to the loss of earning power
which results. They are a distinct advance over the older employers'
liability acts, because the employee is no longer obliged to bring suit,
nor to prove the direct responsibility of the employer.Although compulsory sickness insurance has developed in Europe
on a wide scale, it is almost unknown in America. Dependent old age
may be avoided by either old-age pensions, as in Great Britain, or by
old-age insurance as in Germany. Neither plan has made much progress
in America. Perhaps the most debatable type of social insurance is
that of unemployment insurance. This will be discussed in the following
chapter.
Collateral Reading
| ATKINS W. E. and LASSWELL H. D., "Labor Attitudes and Problems", chap. 11. | |
| BLOOMFIELD D., "Problems of Labor", pp. 313-339 and 413-419. | |
| BLUM S., "Labor Economics", chap. 7. | |
| BOSSARD J. H. S., "Problems of Social Well-being", chaps. 19 and 20. | |
| CARLTON F. T., "History and Problems of Organized Labor", pp. 360-387. | |
| CATLIN W. B., "The Labor Problem", chap. 5. | |
| COMMONS J. R., Editor, "Trade Unionism and Labor Problems", see. ser., part I. |
-273-
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: Social Aspects of Industry:A Survey of Labor Problems and Causes of Industrial Unrest.
Contributors: S. Howard Patterson - Author.
Publisher: McGraw-Hill.
Place of publication: New York.
Publication year: 1929.
Page number: 273.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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