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& s P x " C ( y THURSDAY, FEBRUARY _ 8, 1925. 0 & ®# he l ,R. L. Brackin of West Kent Engages in Lively ' # « e _ o \ _ Tilt With Minister of Labor Over Alleged I * e + * | |__ _ Shortcomings of Reimbursing Injured. A | * & ® | |\ _ Workmen --Complains of High--handed | _ Methods--Several Instances of Lack of | e e 'l Courtesy Cited by Members of Legislature # #% | --Premier Rises to Defend Board | enmmnnmemmmensm nmmmmmmmemner mm ammmmnmmmmmmms t SAYS IN | ' \ JUSTICES TO APPLICANTS | ; BY WRONG METHODS ; f # ® { AN INNOCENT--LOOKING MOTION, standing in the name} of J. B. Johnston (East Simcoe), in regard to an injured work--| '_man whose case was dealt with by the Workmen's Compensation l Board, led to the most spirited debate which has occurred in | the Legislature so far this session, and produced some exceed-i ingly bitter criticism of the board for the manner in which it | is alleged to treat claims which come before it. | It also provoked a lively tilt: between R. L. Brackin, member for West Kent, and the Minis-- ter of Labor. Mr. Brackin was very severe in condemnation of some of the methods of the Workmen's Compensation Board, and in the course of his remarks spoke of "the unfor-- tunate wretch who had to come _ _ s » before the board as a claimant." Subject for Commiseration. 4 | *"'"*Not a 'wretch,'"' protested a § member of the House, whereupon | Mr. Brackin retorted: '"He is a wretch when he gets in the hands | of this board. He is a respectable ! citizen before he gets into the hands * |of this board. After that he is a .suhject for commiseration." i *"'*You ought to be ashamed of | yourself!""' the Minister of Labor | shouted across the floor. | _ '"Don't you talk like that to me," | flashed back the West Kent mem-- | ber, with considerable warmth. "I will handle you if the necessity arises."" And then he added, as a kind of aside: '"'There are different ways of handling Gifferent com-- modities." Mr. Johnston's motion, which was | the cause of all the trouble, merely 'called for a return in connection | with an alleged accident to Mans-- | ford H. Clement, deceased, formerly of Orillia, and for a copy of the de-- ,cision of the Workmen's Compensa-- tion Board in the matter. The chief ; | complaint of the mover appeared to be that claimants before the board are not allowed to be represented by a solicitor, and that when he (Mr. Johnston) took up the case, as mem-- ber for the constituency in which | the accident occurred, he was told s 'by the board not to interfere. The . | mover claimed that it was neces--| sary, especially in the case of illiter-- ate persons, that they should have some assistance in seeking redress. $ Claims Act Not a Success. Mr. Brackin started off by de-- ' claring that the board is not a suc-- cess, though not because of the legislation which created it. It was quite right that claims should be f taken from the courts and the law-- ® yers; but, by reason of the present administration of the act, he claim-- ed, grave injustices are being per-- petrated in the Province from day f to day. The board, he said, under-- took to say that it would not carry on any correspondence with solicl-- f tors or lawyers to whom claimants might go to ascertain their rights;