The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-08

DILL nave Deen moro CoIuluenC To-Day Gndt
it would pass the Senate. The House is
believed to be favorable to it. Mr.. Chur-
chill of Raymond, will move the reference
of his druggists bill to the legal affairs
committee tomorrow.
The Employers Liability Act.
The Judiciary committee heard this af
ternoon good deal about the employ
ers' liability laws in force in this country
and the Old World. A. M. Goddard,
ESQ.,, as attorney for the petitioners for
similar law in this state told of what
had been done in this direction else
where, and contended that such laws
had had a marked influence in de-
creasing death and injury among those
employed on railroads and in mills and
factories. Roscoe G. Barber, machin-
ist employed by the Grand Trunk road
in it's Portland shops, told the committee
that when he was sent out on the line to
do work, the road provided him with
ticket to which was attached stipula-
tion that If he was injured while travel
ing he waived any claim to damages.
John G. McCone of Portland, a carpen-
ter, related an instance Of which he had
personal knowledge. tt was case in
which Portland carpenter had been
killed by giving way of a staging for
which rotten lumber had been used.
The victim had not erected the staging
and had no knowledge of its condition.
Mr.. McCone thought that this was case
when the mans employer, who had
caused the scaffolding to be erected
shonld be held responsible. J. e. Bal
lard, VIM. Page and Walter Field of Lew
iston, also advocated the passage of the
bill.
Hon. o. D. Baker, who represented
lumber and other manufacturers, OPP
posed to the bill called several witnesses.
Representative Sargent of Brewer and
Senator Thatcher of Baogor said that in
their lumber mills every precaution was
taken in the care of machinery and the
employment of competent superinten-
dents to prevent accident. They thought
that under the proposed law employers
might be made to suffer in cases where
they had done all that could be reason
ably expected to protect their employees.
Mr.. Thatcher didn't see why under the
bill submitted man who cut himself
saving wood could not recover if he
broke the saw horse which he had bor-,
rowed of his employer. Mr.. Weston of
Skowhegan could not object to bill
which was just and equitable. He had
not examined the measure under
discussion but seemed to have
doubts as to whether it could be en-
forced with Justice to all concerned. Mr..
A. f. Gerald of Fairfield occasioned con-
siderable merriment. He said that the
local electric road in which he owned
had insurance policies designed to pro-
tect it in case of injury to its employees
and patrons. If this bill passed he
thought the companies. laboring men
and the lawyers would get about all
there was.
Mr.. Higgins of the committee asked if
he would call it bill to protect corpor-
ations from lawyers. 1t was suggested
that as the committee was made up of
lawyers, Mr.. Gerald's remarks might be
a strong argument for the measure. In
conclusion, Mr.. Gerald said that some
things in the bill were good, others were
bad and he did not believe it would pass
anyway.
G. T. Woodward, Esq, of Bangor, ar
gued the case for the railroads, claiming
that the present laws afforded protection
that as the roads were liable for injury
to passengers there was already every
inducement to proper care, and that it
was unjust to hold the roads responsible
for 9 carelessness of switchmen and
trainmen which resulted in injury to
other employees, when those very en-
ployes, who saw the servants mentioned
in their daily duties, were the ones best
calculated to discover incompetence and
carelessness and report them. Mr..
Woodward characterized the exemption
of farm laborers and domestic servants
from the provisions of the bill as de-
vice to catch the votes of the farmers in
the legislature.
Mr.. Baker spoke Of this bill as an in
novation upon the common law, which
already afforded protection and instanced
case where an employe of manrfac-
turing corporation had recovered dam
ages because his employers had not
fenced off a dangerous piece of ma
ehinery.
Mr.. Goddard, in concluding the case,
said the legislature was here to make in
novations on the common law. He adj
mitted that the bill was aimed principally
at the railroads, which had by their I'M
just treatment of their employees stirred
up this agitation. The provision exempt
ing farm laborers, etc., was now in the
Massachusetts, statute.
The judiciary committee referred the
matter to subcommittee consisting of
Messrs. Brown, Seiders and Drew.
He Didn't Draw.
The committee on towns today voted
to report favorably bills to set off from
the Camden Village corporation that por-
ton in the town of Rockport, to annex
to Rockport the part of burying ground
down in Camden. 1t was voted to report
legislation inexpedient on the matter of
towns establishing reformation institu-
tions. This with the action in the Poland
case clears the committees docket.
Killed in Both Branches.
The bill to repeal the so-called conspir-
acy act came up in the House today. The
Senate last week voted to indefinitely
postpone the bill.
Mr.. Scott of Patten cham pioned it this
morning. He said he understood that
the so-called conspiracy act was passed
without much consideration in the first
place because one man wanted such a
law. Now, some 10000 or 1900 work