“The rate for class seven is 5 per cent.; for classes ten, 2½ per cent., and twenty-nine is 2½ per cent. All operations in which those present are interested in these last two classes take the same rate. Class ten is by far the largest class we have, and as it covers several distinct operations it has been divided into four different subdivisions or groups.
“10.1 covers logging and logging operations of all kinds.
“10.2 covers sawmills and lumber yards, etc.
“10.3 covers shingle mills and operations connected with a shingle plant.
“10.4 covers mast and spar manufacture, stump pulling, land clearing, etc.
“We have had the following table compiled of comparative risks of wood-working industries:
| Workday | Number of | Dismem- | Deaths | |||||
| Av. Number | Number of | Number of | Lost per | Dismem- | berment | Number | per | |
| Class | of Men | Time | Workdays | 1,000 | berment | Awards per | of | 1,000 |
| Number. | Employed. | Awards. | Lost. | Men. | Awards. | 1,000 Men. | Deaths. | Men. |
| 7 | 4,120 | 172 | 5,862 | 1,402 | 17 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.69 |
| 10.1 | 12,801 | 440 | 14,926 | 1,166 | 35 | 2.7 | 22 | 1.72 |
| 10.2 | 17,770 | 763 | 14,941 | 841 | 51 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.39 |
| 10.3 | 5,565 | 221 | 5,766 | 1,036 | 56 | 10.1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 10.4 | 381 | 50 | 1,144 | 3,003 | 5 | 13.1 | 1 | 2.60 |
| 29 | 3,787 | 156 | 3,368 | 888 | 24 | 6.3 | 0 | 0.00 |
| ———— | ———— | ———— | ———— | ——— | ——— | —— | ——— | |
| 44,424 | 1,802 | 46,007 | 1,035 | 188 | 4.2 | 37 | 0.83 |
“This table is not as nice a one as I should have liked to show this Congress of Loggers. It shows where the great harm is being done in class ten and it shows which is the greater risk and what part of the class should be charged a higher rate than the other part. Furthermore, not only are we keeping a strict account with each class, and division of a class, but we are keeping a strict account with each individual operator and in the end will publish an account of just how many accidents each firm or corporation has had, just how much has been paid out for them in awards or pensions, for injuries to their workingmen.
“Now, what are we going to do to prevent this loss of life and limb? In the first place, there has been a Labor Commission since 1905 and the mills and factories have been subject to inspection and have been forced to put on safeguards. The loggers have steadfastly refused to allow any inspection laws covering logging to be put on the statute book of the State. Logging is a hazardous life at the very best and calls for strong, dare-devil men, and men who are willing to take chances. Danger is always present and men become so used to it that they get careless. This, however, is no excuse for needless loss of life and limb.
“Once more I want to urge upon the lumbermen of all classes the necessity of more rigid inspection; to have some one about the plant whose sole duty is to see to it that every machine is safeguarded the best that possibly can be, and that safeguards are kept in place. It will be money in your pockets if you want to put it on such a mercenary level as that.