changes that might be made in the Act, taking into consideration the
provisions of other States, the adequacy or inadequacy of the law as
it then existed, and also to endeavor to correct any defects that might
be present therein. The Governor appointed a Commission for this
purpose, and recommendations were made, which, it is hoped, will ac-
complish this purpose. Amendments covering these recommendations
were enacted and passed by the General Assembly, and it is felt that
Maryland now has a Workmen's Compensation Law which, in fairness
to all interested elements, is equal to the law of any State in the Union.

During the year ended October 31, 1931, there was a total of 31,474
industrial accidents reported to the Commission. This was 10,287 cases
less than the number reported in the preceding year. Out of this num-
ber there were 11,275 claims filed for compensation of which 138 were
claims in fatal accidents, as against 14,339 claims filed during the year
ended October 31, 1930, 191 of which were claims in fatal cases. As a
result of last year's work, there was paid out to injured employees and
their dependents the sum of $927,195.63, which included the payment of
compensation, funeral and medical expenses, etc. In addition to the
amount herein mentioned, there was $379,883.31 paid for medical ex-
penses in cases where there was no claim for compensation.

When the General Assembly of Maryland in 1914 passed the Work.
men's Compensation Act, they recognized the fact that employers might
be put in the position where they would not be able to comply with
the Act due to the fact that the private insurance companies would
refuse to carry their risk. Furthermore, they felt that inasmuch as
this form of insurance was compulsory under the State Law, that they
should provide a place where the insurance could be secured at prac-
tically the cost of writing this form of insurance. They, therefore,
created the State Accident Fund to be administered by the State Indus-
trial Accident Commission.

This Fund started business on November 1, 1914, the day the Law
went into effect. Its beginning was small and the money available at
that time consisted of premiums paid into the Fund by those insured
with it, which premiums were based on an advance estimate of the
payrolls of the insuring employers for a period of four months. The
State Industrial Accident Commission transferred from the funds
alloted to it by the State of Maryland the amount of $15,000.00 for
the purpose of maintaining the solvency of the Fund. A few years later
this amount was returned to the State of Maryland.

During the first few years of the Fund's operations the principal
business carried on its books was coal mining operations, and the Fund
during these first few years was a comparatively small writer of com-
pensation insurance, the large bulk of the business having been secured
by the private insurance companies operating in the State. This condi-
tion gradually changed from year to year, and, while the Fund still
carries the risks of most of the coal operators in the State, there has