Vaivida v. City of Grand Rapids

I am not in accord with the opinion of Mr. Justice FEAD.

The workmen's compensation act (2 Comp. Laws 1929, § 8407 etseq.) has no common-law background and was originally bottomed on the idea that industry should assume liability as a part of the cost of production. It is true that the plan has been extended to encompass labor contracts in other fields, but, at first, and now, the relation must be one of contract and that of employer and employee.

Citizens needing public aid are in a sense wards of the municipality required to support them, and, if the able among them are set at work at common…