WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION. 311
the part of trade unions, knowledge of the law, which is evidently being
diffused rapidly already, should become general among workmen. :
Ignorance of Dependants.

We doubt, however, if these methods will be adequate in the case
of dependants and, having regard to the special difficulties in their way and
to the great importance of ensuring that they do not lose the benefits of
the Act through ignorance, their case demands further examination.
Although it is satisfactory to note that the proportion of claims paid to
possible claims is higher in cases of death than in cases of either
permanent or temporary disablement, there are still cases where compen-
sation for a fatal accident should be and is not claimed; and it is
our opinion that, unless steps are taken to give some assistance to depend-
ants in the matter, it will be long before they are able, as a class, to take
tull advantage of the Act. In many cases they live hundreds of miles
from the industrial areas, and too often they communicate only at long
intervals with the workman whose dependants they are; on occasions
they must be ignorant of his whereabouts, and they may not hear of his
death until some time has elapsed. In most cases, moreover, the
dependants with the best claim are women and children. The spread of a
knowledge of the law in industrial areas should not be difficult and is,
bo some extent, inevitable, but a long time must lapse before that know-
ledge can be generally diffused in the countless distant villages where
so many dependants live.
Procedure in Fatal Accidents.
After examining various alternative suggestions made to us
in this connection, we consider that the best method of overcoming the
difficulties would be to ensure that notices of fatal accidents are given to
the Commissioner. The employer should be required to send with the
notice, either the amount of compensation due (and the particulars neces-
sary to enable the Commissioner to check that amount) or a statement
disclaiming liability, with the grounds on which compensation is withheld.
The notice should be compulsory in the case of all fatal accidents occur-
ring to employees while they are on the employer's premises or while
they are on duty elsewhere. A notice will thus be required in some
cases in which the accident has not arisen in or out of employment ; in
such cases it will be for the employer, in forwarding the notice, to set out
clearly the circumstances which relieve him from liability. On receipt
of a notice accompanying compensation, the Commissioner would take
steps to distribute the amount ; on receipt of a notice disclaiming liabi-
lity, it would be the duty of the Commissioner to satisfy himself that
the grounds for such disclaimer were adequate. If he was not so satis-
fied, he might either call upon the employer to show cause why he should
not be ordered to deposit compensation, or ascertain the whereabouts
of the dependants and inform them that it was open to them to prosecute
a claim. If he took the former step, it would not, of course, prevent him
so informing the dependants at any stage ; nor would such proceedings
act as a bar to any subsequent claims by a dependant. We do not think