Falkirk Herald 27-2-1904:
ACCIDENT TO A FALKIRK PLUMBER. - On Mon-
day afternoon one of the plumbers in the em-
ployment of Mr David Draper, plumber, Fal-
kirk, named James Buchan, residing at Glebe
Street, Falkirk, met with a serious accident
while working at the Redding Co-operative So-
ciety's new branch at present in course of [ ]-
tion at Shieldhill. Buchan was in the act of
coming out of one of the windows on the second
floor, with a view to get upon the roof, when
the accident happened. He had caught hold of
one of the stones above the window, which, how-
ever, gave way, and he overbalanced himself, and
fell a distance of over twenty feet. Dr Wy[ ],
Polmont, was speedily in attendance and found
that Buchan had sustained a compound frac-
ture to one of his legs immediately above the
ankle. He ordered the man's removal to the
Falkirk Cottage Hospital, where his injuries are
now being attended to.
Later articles tell us he was awarded compensation of 18/- a week from his employer, then returned to work and got full wages, before ceasing employment as his lameness meant he couldn't do roof work.
A dispute about compensation was decided at Falkirk Sheriff Court on 30-12-1905 - James was to get 7/11d a week from Draper.
In July 1907 Draper went to court to ask for the weekly compensation to be reduced as James was earning £1 9/9d a week in his current employment, but had only earned an average of £1 5/4d a week when the accident took place. The Sheriff ruled in James's favour as the reason for his higher income was that he worked 6 days a week as a plumber, but was now working a 7 day week. Sunday work was extra, so shouldn't be taken into account.
Draper took the case back to court in October 1909, and this time the weekly compensation was reduced from 7/11d to 3/4d.
In November 1909, a general meeting of the Operative Plumbers' Association was held in Munro's Temperance Hotel and James was presented with a cheque for £100 owing to his being incapacitated by an accident from ever following his trade as a plumber. "Mr John Allan, secretary of the local branch, in making the presentation, referred to the high place Mr Buchan held in the estimation of his fellow plumbers, and hoped he would be long spared the enjoyment of this sum of money, the providing of which, at a time of need, was such a good feature of the trades union movement. Several plumbers spoke in congratulatory terms, and Mr Buchan suitably replied."
