fective. This resulted in great hardship to the injured employees and their surviving dependents.

As soon as quarters had been secured and an organization effected, the commission set to work adjudicating the many long delayed claims for compensation. Cases of temporary disability were taken up first because they usually involved no difficult questions and could be most readily disposed of. Bills for medical and hospital services were given second place. Then followed permanent disability and death claims, the latter requiring many details of proof of marriage, certificates of birth, questions of guardianship, dependence, etc.; involving much inquiry and delay. The commission next gave its attention to the working out of a permanent system of administration.

The creation of new war agencies and the expansion of the work in all departments of the national government on account of participation in the World War, increased the volume of work and enchanced the difficulties of the commission. On the other hand the termination of the war added new difficulties to the task of the commission, because the abandonment of government camps and establishments, and the discharge or displacement of thousands of officers and employees made it impossible in many cases to get prompt and adequate data concerning the claims for compensation that were presented. Furthermore, contrary to all expectation, instead of diminishing, the number of claims for compensation increased during the first fiscal year following the Armistice.

The commission, while meeting these pressing temporary problems, has gradually worked out a permanent system of administration. During the first year of its existence, a survey was conducted for about four months to ascertain the conditions under which work in the government establishments was carried on, and the means that could be provided for accident prevention. As the best means to this end the commission accepted the services of officers and safety engineers connected with the National Safety Council and the National

Museum of Safety, who were loaned to the commission and were employed as "dollar-a-year men," and who made the survey under the direction of the commission and with the coöperation of the various government departments and an advisory committee representing them. As a result of this survey, many cases of avoidable hazards were pointed out by experienced safety engineers and steps were taken to prevent them, and the Secretaries of the Navy and War appointed safety engineers for all the important navy yards and arsenals.

The United States Employees' Compensation Commission is created by and entrusted with the administration of the Employees' Compensation Act. The commission interprets the act, makes and publishes regulations, considers all claims for compensation, decides whether the injured employees or their beneficiaries are entitled to compensation and determines the amount of compensation to be awarded, and organizes and furnishes the medical service in accordance with the provisions of the act. The power of interpretation and award is exercised only by the commission and is in no case delegated to any agent or other officer.

Under the Employee's Compensation Act the commission passes upon all claims for compensation arising out of injuries sustained by employees of the United States government while in the performance of their duty. The compensation granted under previous acts ceased for injuries sustained on and after September 7, 1916, when the present law was approved, and the settlement of all pending claims and of all claims arising subsequent to that date was transferred from existing administrative services to the commission. Unsettled claims for injuries sustained prior to that date were acted upon by the commission by passing upon the facts in each case and reporting its findings to the government establishment concerned, no payments being made by the commission in such cases.

At the time of the approval of the present act, compensation acts of various characters were being administered in the following services:

1. The Coast Guard, administering act of 1882, amended by acts of 1908 and 1915, applying to employees of the Coast Guard.

2. The Post Office Department, administering provisions appearing in appropriation acts since 1900, applying to certain employees of that department.

3. The Department of Labor, administering general act of 1908, applying to certain "hazardous" employments in government services.

4. The government of the Panama Canal and the Panama Railroad Company, administering Executive Order of 1914 in pursuance of the act of 1908, applying to employees of those two services. 5. The Alaskan Engineering Commission, administering Executive Order of 1915, extending provisions of general act of 1908 to employees of the commission.

All of these acts were superseded by the present general act.

Soon after the enactment of the present law, the administration of the act was transferred by executive orders to the Governor of the Panama Canal, in the case of employees of the Panama Canal and the Panama Railroad Company, and to the Chairman of the Alaskan Engineering Commission, in the case of employees of that commission. These organizations pay the compensations for injuries to their respective employees, but are reimbursed for such payments out of the Employees' Compensation Fund. Since July 1, 1919, the administration of the act has been extended to employees of the District of Columbia, but the compensations are paid out of appropriations for that government.

The amount and character of the benefits paid to beneficiaries under this act are shown in the analysis and text of the act in the Appendix 4.

Rules and Regulations. As the activities of the commission extend to nearly all branches of the government service, where the coöperation of officers and employees is necessary for the

administration of the compensation service, it is essential that there should be uniformity of procedure in all matters pertaining to the enforcement of the Compensation Act. The act therefore gives the commission authority to make necessary rules and regulations for its enforcement. Such rules and regulations have been made and published and have been distributed to the several government organizations having use for them.

Publicity. The commission considers as one of its duties the giving of publicity to the Employees' Compensation Act by bringing its provisions to the attention of officers and employees in the service. To this end, it has requested every government office to display, in a conspicuous place, a poster furnished by the commission; it has furnished to each such office for distribution to every employee, a leaflet notifying employees of the provisions of the law and instructing them concerning the necessary procedure in case of injury; and it encourages employees' associations to publish the law and references thereto. The Postal Guide also contains, in each of its yearly issues, a brief statement of the provisions of the law. Administering Compensation Awards. The Compensation Act (Section 36) provides that "The Commission, upon consideration of the claim presented by the beneficiary and the report furnished by the immediate superior and the completion of such investigation as it may deem necessary, shall determine and make findings of facts thereon and make an award for or against payment of the compensation provided for in the act." The awards made by the commission are either for or against the payments of compensation and for the continuance, increase, or decrease of compensation already granted, in accordance with the facts presented in the reports of injury, in the claim and its accompanying papers, and as ascertained through subsequent inquiry. The commission also acts with regard to recoveries from third parties who are liable for injuries to government employees.