AN ACT to promote the general welfare of the people of this State by providing compensation for accidental injuries or death suffered in the course of employment within this State; providing for the enforcement and administering thereof, and a penalty for its violation, and repealing an Act entitled, "An Act to promote the general welfare of the people of this State by providing compensation for accidental injuries or death suffered in the course of employment," approved June 10, 1911, in force May 1, 1912. [Approved June 28, 1913, in force July 1, 1913, with amendments in force July

I, 1921.

SECTION 1. EMPLOYER-NOTICE.] Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That an employer in this State, who does not come within the classes enumerated by section three (3) of this Act, may elect to provide and pay compensation for accidental injuries sustained by any employee arising out of and in the course of the employment according to the provisions of this Act, and thereby relieve himself from any liability for the recovery of damages, except as herein provided.

(a) Election by any employer to provide and pay compensation according to the provisions of this Act shall be made by the employer filing notice of such election with the industrial board.

(b) Every employer within the provisions of this Act who has elected to provided (provide) and pay compensation according to the provisions of this Act, shall be bound thereby as to all his employees until January 1st of the next succeeding year and for terms of each year thereafter: Provided, any such employer who may have once elected, may elect not to provide and pay the compensation herein provided for accidents resulting in either injury or death and occurring after the expiration of any such calendar year by filing notice of such election with the industrial board at least sixty days prior to the expiration of any such calendar year, and by posting such notice at a conspicuous place in the plant, shop, office, room or place where such employee is employed, or by personal service, in written or printed form, upon such employees, at least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of any such calendar year.

(c) In the event any employer mentioned in this section, elects to provide and pay the compensation provided in this Act, then every employee of such employer, as a part of his contract of hiring or who may be employed at the time of the taking effect of this Act and the acceptance of its provisions by such employer, shall be deemed to

have accepted all the provisions of this Act and shall be bound thereby unless within thirty (30) days after such hiring or after the taking effect of this Act, and its acceptance by such employee, he shall file a notice to the contrary with the industrial board, whose duty it shall be to immediately notify the employer, and until such notice to the contrary is given to the employer, the measure of liability of such employer shall be determined according to the compensation provisions of this Act: Provided, however, that any employee may withdraw from the operation of this Act upon filing a written notice of withdrawal at least ten (10) days prior to January 1st. of any year with the industrial board, whose duty it shall be to immediately notify such employer by registered mail, and, until such notice to the contrary is given to such employer, the measure of liability of such employer shall be determined according to the compensation provisions of this Act.

(d) Any such employer or employee may, without prejudice to any existing right or claim, withdraw his election to reject this Act by giving thirty (30) days' written notice in such manner and form as may be provided by the industrial board. [Amended by Act approved June 29, 1921.

§ 2. REPEALED.] Section two of an Act entitled, "An Act to promote the general welfare of the people of this State by providing compensation for accidental injuries or death suffered in the course of employment within this State; providing for the enforcement and administering thereof, and a penalty for its violation, and repealing an Act entitled, 'An Act to promote the general welfare of the people of this State by providing compensation for accidental injuries or death suffered in the course of employment, approved June 10, 1911, in force May 1, 1912," approved June 28, 1913, in force July 1, 1913, as subsequently amended, is hereby repealed. [Amended by Act approved June 25, 1917.

§ 3. APPLIES AUTOMATICALLY.] The provisions of this Act hereinafter following shall apply automatically and without election to the State, county, city, town, township, incorporated village or school district, body politic or municipal corporation, and to all employers and all their employees engaged in any department of the following enterprises or businesses which are declared to be extra hazardous, namely: 1. The erection, maintaining, removing, remodeling, altering or demolishing of any structure, except as provided in sub-paragraph 8 of this section.

2. Construction, excavating or electrical work, except as provided in sub-paragraph 8 of this section.

3. Carriage by land or water and loading or unloading in connection therewith, including the distribution of any commodity by. horse-drawn or motor driven vehicle where the employer employs more than three employees in the enterprise or business, except as provided in sub-paragraph 8 of this section.

4. The operation of any warehouse or general or terminal storehouses.

5. Mining, surface mining or quarrying.

6. Any enterprise in which explosive-materials are manufactured, handled or used in dangerous quantities.

7. In any enterprise wherein molten metal, or explosive or injurious gases or vapors, or inflammable vapors or fluids, or corrosive acids are manufactured, used, generated, stored or conveyed in dangerous quantities.

8. In any enterprise in which statutory or municipal ordinance regulations are now or shall hereafter be imposed for the regulating, guarding use or the placing of machinery or appliances or for the protection and safeguarding of the employees or the public therein; each of which occupations, enterprises or businesses are hereby declared to be extra hazardous: Provided, nothing contained herein shall be construed to apply to any work, employment or operations done, had or conducted by farmers and others engaged in farming, tillage of the soil, or stock raising, or to those who rent, demise or lease land for any such purposes, or to any one in their employ or to any work done on a farm or country place, no matter what kind of work or service is being done or rendered. [Amended by Act approved June 29, 1921.

§ 32. PLEADINGS—Certificate.] (a) If the plaintiff in any action mentioned in section 3 shall in his declaration or in his other pleading allege that the employer has filed notice of his election not to provide and pay compensation according to the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act and such allegation be not denied by a verified pleading, then such employer shall for the purpose of that action be conclusively presumed to have filed his notice of nonelection.

(b) A certificate of the fact of the filing by an employer of the notice of non-election provided in section 2 and of the non-withdrawal thereof shall be prima facie proof in any action mentioned in section 3 of the fact of the filing of such notice of non-election and of the non-withdrawal thereof. Such certificate may be under the seal of the industrial board and signed by any member or the secretary thereof, of which seal and signature as such officer the court shall take judicial notice. Said certificate may be in substantially the following form:

This is to certify that the attached is a correct copy of notice filed with the industrial board by. ..on the ....day of...... .19...., electing not to provide and pay compensation according to the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act of Illinois, and that the original of said notice is now on file in the office of the industrial board and has not been withdrawn since the date of the filing thereof.

In witness whereof, this certificate has been subscribed and the seal of the industrial board affixed this.....day of.. 19...

. of Industrial Board.

[Amended by Act approved May 31, 1917.