Chambers v. State Ex Rel. Parsons

81 P.2d 748, 59 Idaho 200, 1938 Ida. LEXIS 50
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 20, 1938
DocketNo. 6516.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 81 P.2d 748 (Chambers v. State Ex Rel. Parsons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chambers v. State Ex Rel. Parsons, 81 P.2d 748, 59 Idaho 200, 1938 Ida. LEXIS 50 (Idaho 1938).

Opinion

*202 HOLDEN, C. J.

Howard C. Chambers, claimant, past 62 years of age, is a farmer, and resided on, and owned, a 90-acre farm in Missouri. He had four children living with him (the wife and mother being deceased) 17, 18, 20, and 22 years of age, respectively. . The father being rather advanced in years and in poor health, Andrew H. Chambers, the oldest son, performed all the farm work. In February, 1936, Andrew went to San Francisco, apparently to seek employment. Claimant then rented the farm (which was mortgaged for $1,650) for $400 per year. Andrew was in San Francisco several months but was employed only for about sixty days. From San Francisco, he went to Wallace, Idaho, some time in the latter part of July, 1936. Later, and in the latter part of September, Andrew went to Mullan, Idaho, where he was employed by the Federal Mining & Smelting Company as a mucker in the Morning Mine. January 7, 1937, Andrew, while so employed, and “while bringing his carbide lamp to help spit several fuses, took his carbide lamp from his hat and was carrying it in his hand and while walking in a stooping position hit his head on a timber cap, causing him to stumble and fall, head first, into a timber slide where he struck a trap-door, head first,, four floors below, resulting in a fractured skull, from which said injury he died while being taken from the place of the accident” to a hospital for medical attention.

February 6, 1937, the father filed with the Industrial Accident Board a claim for compensation as a dependent of the deceased. The claim so filed is signed by only the father; No claim was filed by the surviving brother and sisters, as minors, either by their father as natural guardian, or otherwise. Therefore, it will not be necessary to discuss the contention of the mining company that the brother -and sisters were not dependents.

*203 April 8, 1937, the State of Idaho, on the relation of Harry C. Parsons, State Auditor, filed its claim with the board, against the employer and surety, for the sum of $1,000, under subdivision 6, section 43-1101, I. C. A., as amended by chapter 147, 1935 Session Laws.

July 26, 1937, a hearing was had before the board. August 20, 1937, it found and, accordingly, entered an order that claimant, Howard Chambers, was not entitled to an award as a dependent of the deceased. The board further found that the state was entitled to an award in the sum of $1,000 under sec. 43-1101, supra, as amended as aforesaid, against the Federal Mining & Smelting Company, as employer and self-insurer, and, accordingly entered an order that such company pay said sum to the treasurer of the State of Idaho, to be deposited in the Industrial Administration Fund.

September 18, 1937, claimant Chambers appealed to this court from the order of the board denying him compensation as a dependent of his son, Andrew, as well as from the order of the board awarding the state the said sum of $1,000.

It is contended by appellant there is not “competent and substantial evidence to support the Findings upon which the award in this case was made.” On that question, the record shows that for a period of about five years before the deceased went to San Francisco, he performed all the work on the farm; that for about the same period, claimant was not able to work “to amount to anything”; that the farm was mortgaged for $1,650; that the average rental was $400 per year and that that did not take the taxes into consideration ; that before the deceased left for San Francisco, he told his father that after he got work he would send him some money “to help him along”; that the deceased was about 22 years of age when he went to California; that he was a single man; that the deceased and his father wrote “letters back and forth”; that at Mullan, Idaho, the deceased asked a sister to help him manage so he could send his father more money, and that “it was very, very necessary”; that while working in the Morning Mine, the deceased sent his father, at different times, sums totaling $60, and while working at San Francisco, he sent his father, at different times, a total of $40.

*204 The only testimony produced at the hearing to defeat the claim of dependency was that of an assistant timekeeper. He testified: That at the time deceased went to work in the mine, he signed what is called an “Identification Card”; that at the time the card was signed, he asked deceased if he had any dependents and deceased “said he had no dependents”; that

“Q. You asked him (deceased) in case of accident who to notify?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Who did he say?
“A. It states there (referring to the identification card) Howard Chambers, father.”

The identification card shows:

“Q; Have you any'dependent or dependents?-. (There is a lead pencil check mark on blank line.)
“Q. Does the relationship of dependency exist between you and any other person or persons?-. (There is no lead pencil check mark on that line.)”

In addition to these questions; there are other questions printed on the identification card inquiring as to whether the deceased was single, married, widowed, or divorced; if married, whether separated or divorced; “if separated or divorced and have children under 18, do you contribute to the children’s support, and if so, how much a month?” Then follows the above-quoted inquiries as to whether he had a dependent, or dependents, and as to whether the relationship of dependency existed between him and any other person or persons.

It will be observed that the inquiries leading up to those about dependency were directed to the question as to whether the deceased had children or a divorced wife, and, if so, how much a month he was contributing for their support. So it may well be the deceased understood, having no children depending on him for support, and not having a divorced wife, that he had no dependent or dependents. Remembering that the deceased had been making remittances to his father, it is reasonably certain had he been pointedly asked about that, and his father’s need of such remittances, the true facts of the matter would have been developed.

*205 A comparison shows that the pertinent facts in the case at bar are substantially like those in Miller v. G. L. Arnett & Son, 58 Ida. 420, 74 Pac. (2d) 177.

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Related

Monroe v. Chapman
668 P.2d 1000 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1983)
Nolen v. Wortz Biscuit Co.
196 S.W.2d 899 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1946)
Paull v. Preston Theatres Corp.
124 P.2d 562 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1942)

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Bluebook (online)
81 P.2d 748, 59 Idaho 200, 1938 Ida. LEXIS 50, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chambers-v-state-ex-rel-parsons-idaho-1938.