Compensation Law

New Workers' Compensation Law in N. Guinea

THE only one of 14 Bills, submitted on April 22 to the New Guinea Legis lative Council, which had any pub lic interest, was a measure—which was debated and agreed to —which provides a workmen’s compensation plan for Euro nean and Asiatic workers in the Terri tory.

The plan is similar to that in opera tion in Australia. Employers are com pelled to insure against the injury or accidental death of their employees; and the latter receive compensation accord ing to a fixed scale. The rate of com pensation for Asiatics is about two-thirds of that for Europeans.

Hon. Gerald Hogan, Crown Law Offi cer, said that the Bill had been long under consideration and a number of difficulties peculiar to the Territory had caused delay. It had been decided, after much consideration, to exclude native workers from the benefits of the new law, because it was found not practicable to frame a scale of compensation for them. Natives who were injured were able to fall back upon the resources of their own tribe or family group, which was a thing not possible in the case of Europeans and Asiatics. He was not able to indicate what rates would be charged by the insurers.

Mr. J. C. Mullaly strongly objected to the scheme which, he pointed out. was placing heavy new burdens upon small employers at a time .when they were least able to bear them. The big com nanies, largest employers of labour in the Territory, were not affected to the same degree, because they controlled their own insurance companies. He argued that, if insurance was to be compulsory, the Administration should create its own insurance denartment, instead of leaving employers at the mercy of insurance companies.