Blake v. Department of Labor & Industries

84 P.2d 365, 196 Wash. 681
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 14, 1938
DocketNo. 27148. Department Two.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 84 P.2d 365 (Blake v. Department of Labor & Industries) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blake v. Department of Labor & Industries, 84 P.2d 365, 196 Wash. 681 (Wash. 1938).

Opinions

Beals, J.

— During the summer and fall of 1935, the city of Seattle was engaged in construction work, including some road building, in Whatcom and Skagit *682 counties, all in connection with the Skagit river hydroelectric project. In the course of the carrying out of the plan, a road was being constructed near Ruby camp, in the vicinity of Diablo. This road was being built pursuant to plans and specifications prepared by engineers in the employ of the city of Seattle, and an employee of the city was in charge of the operation. The building of the road was part of the development of the Ruby basin, and evidently was deemed necessary in connection with the construction of the Ruby dam.

During the period mentioned, the transient division of the state department of public welfare maintained a camp near Ruby, to which the welfare department assigned men who were in need of relief. These men engaged in work in furtherance of the Skagit project. The city of Seattle, through its lighting department, furnished the camp equipment, quarters, clothing, and subsistence for the men, the welfare department paying them a small weekly wage. The camp was in charge of Mr. Arthur Schacht, who received a salary from the welfare department, the city of Seattle paying him an additional $75 per month. The city of Seattle, by ordinance, had appropriated a considerable sum for the purpose of furnishing board, lodging, and necessary equipment for the men who were occupying the camp.

The respondent herein, Frank Blake, was sent to the camp by the department of welfare, and while there became a member of a crew of men who were engaged in loading and unloading necessary supplies to be used in the construction work above referred to. September 23, 1935, while engaged in this work, Blake was injured by the falling of a gasoline drum, the crew of which he was a member being then en *683 gaged in loading such drums on a boat, to be taken to Ruby camp.

Thereafter, Blake claimed compensation from the department of labor and industries, which denied his claim upon the ground that, at the time he was hurt, Blake was not engaged in work within the jurisdiction of the division of industrial insurance. From this ruling of the supervisor, Blake appealed to the joint board, which sustained the order denying the claim. Blake then appealed to the superior court, and the hearing on his appeal resulted in the entry of a judgment reversing the order of the joint board and directing that Mr. Blake be allowed compensation. From this judgment, the department has appealed.

Appellant assigns error upon findings of the trial court to the effect that the respondent was in the employ of the city of Seattle, was being in part paid by the city, was engaged upon necessary construction work for the city, and that the evidence established that, at the time of his injury, respondent was engaged in extrahazardous employment within the jurisdiction of the division of industrial insurance. Error is also assigned upon the court’s conclusion that respondent was entitled to the protection of the industrial insurance act, and upon the entry of judgment in respondent’s favor.

Appellant relies upon three recent decisions of this court, contending that these cases call for the reversal of the judgment herein, while respondent cites other cases which he contends require that the judgment be affirmed.

Appellant relies upon the cases of Lawe v. Department of Labor & Industries, 189 Wash. 650, 66 P. (2d) 848; Brooks v. Seattle, 193 Wash. 253, 74 P. (2d) 1008; and Reid v. Department of Labor & Industries, 194 Wash. 108, 77 P. (2d) 589.

*684 In the Lawe case, this court held that a workman, injured while painting the interior of a building used by the county welfare board in connection with its program, the workman being paid through the state welfare department from both Federal and state funds, was not within the protection of the state industrial insurance statute. The workman relied upon Rem. Rev. Stat., § 7692 [P. C. § 3485], which reads in part as follows:

“Whenever the state, county, any municipal corporation or other taxing district shall engage in any ex-trahazardous work, or let a contract therefor, in which workmen are employed for wages, this act shall be applicable thereto . . .”

In the course of the opinion, we said:

“Here, we have no employer who was bound to perform any work of any character; but, on the contrary, we have the sovereign state acting through a special executive agency in conjunction with the Federal government engaged in distributing relief to its distressed citizens, and nothing more. If, as an incident to that distribution of relief, work was provided to assist in maintaining the self-respect of those in need, that did not change the character of the undertaking in any degree.”

It was held that, under the facts shown, the state had not placed itself under the industrial insurance act, as, in connection with the work in which Mr. Lawe was engaged, the state was not engaging in industry.

In the case of Brooks v. Seattle, supra, it was held that the widow and minor children of a workman who lost his life while engaged on a civil works project being carried out by the Federal government, consisting of the construction of a bridge which the city desired in connection with its water system, could not maintain an action against the city based upon the alleged negligence of the city in the construction of *685 the bridge, which negligence it was alleged resulted in Mr. Brooks’ death. The Federal government provided the workmen and paid their wages, while the city-furnished plans, specifications, and material, and supervised the work. The court concluded that the Federal government assumed the execution of the project in furtherance of the general welfare; and that, even though the city furnished for the project both materials and the services of its department of engineering, the city was not liable for the death of a workman engaged upon the project, even though occasioned by the negligence of some person assisting in the construction of the bridge. This court held that the Federal government had assumed the execution of a project which the city had tendered to the Federal civil works administration, together with the city’s application for the adoption of the project by the Federal government. The judgment of the superior court in favor of the city was affirmed.

In the last case relied upon by appellant, that of Reid v. Department of Labor & Industries, supra, this court decided that an injured workman was not entitled to the benefit of the industrial insurance act, because the basic element necessary to bring a workman within the provisions of the act, namely, that of employer and employee engaged in extrahazardous occupation, was wanting. It appeared that Mr. Reid, the workman, was employed by the Washington emergency relief administration, in the construction of a city hall for the town of Everson. While in the course of his employment, he suffered an injury, for which he claimed compensation from the division of industrial insurance.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Pasquarello v. Charles E. Shepard, Inc.
50 A.2d 418 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1946)
Clausen v. Department of Labor & Industries
129 P.2d 777 (Washington Supreme Court, 1942)
Scott v. Board of Com'rs of Garvin County
1941 OK 379 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1941)
Olivieri v. City of Bridgeport
10 A.2d 770 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1940)
Hendershot v. City of Lincoln
286 N.W. 909 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1939)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
84 P.2d 365, 196 Wash. 681, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blake-v-department-of-labor-industries-wash-1938.