New-York tribune., 1897-08-02
TORY RADICALISM.
THE HOUSE OF LORDS MAPPING OVER
THE wORKMEN'S COMPENSATION
BILI~LORD sALIsBURYs DEFI-
NITION OF SOCIALISM.

Tho uouse NJ Commons Is the best club IN
London, with a smoking-room ana par' where
the most interesting byplay goes on behind tho
scenes The House OF Lords Is the most ex.
elusive and listless debating society In tho
World The peers consider themselves privileged
IN protect themselves against wearisome dis.
cussion and laxative bores. They hold short
consultations over public affairs and only
recognize the right OF a select few to take part
in debate. II an ambitious peer outside this
small circle attempts to make a speech ana 10
take I'd the time Of the House. he Is snuboed
and snuffed out. His colleagues with one con-
sent stare him out Of countenance and treat
him as IL he were an intruder who did not
know what was good form Hardly more than
a dozen peers are allowed by courtesy the priv
ilege OF debating public questions; and they are
expected to speak in low tones. 50 as not to dis
turb the slumbers Of their associates. The Lord
Chancellor on the woolsack dozes peacefully.
and there is an air Of dignified repose about the
| historic assembly when 1t Is in legislative ses.
s!on They toll not, neither do they spin, In
| their work as lawmakers.
The House Of Lords listened yesterday with
apathy to a debate which excited grim humor
! in the galleries. few years ago the peers had
mutilated and destroyed an Employers Liability
bill which Mr. Gadstones Government had
carried through the Commons. After bre:
! interval Conservative Government had framed
a more radical measure and brought 1t into the
upper House. Consistency seemed to require its
prompt rejection by the hereditary legislators,
who had thrown out the milder and less revo-
lutionary measure They listened drowsily %
the dull drone of Lord Belper for an hour and
then t. desultory discussion by Lord London
derry Lord Salisbury and other listless speak,
ers and allowed the bill to pass TO second read
| ing without q division. The Prime Minister
vouched for Mr.. Chamberlain as Trustworthy
Conservative, and described the measure as
sound in principle and ingeniousy contrived Tor
saving life. That was enough. The peers went
home to dinner without being disturbed by the
| reflection that the Tories were better Radicals
than the Radicals themselves.
Mr.. Chamberlain's measure was described at
the outset as an Employers Liability bill 1t Is
now generally known as the Workmen's Com
pensation bill. The change in title indicates the
shifting OF the Tory point OF view. What was
originally the employers obligation has been
transformed into the workman's privilege. The
emphasis has been laid upon the rights OF labor.
The bill has not been altered. but the signih-
canoe of ii has been translated into popular LAM
guaQe The principle Of the measure is the as
| sessment o' damages from accident upon those
who hire workmen. II insures against accident
| those who are employed, and converts the risk
into a general trade charge, without reference 10
! actual responsibility. The employer Is 70 meet
| the charge not because lie has incurred any
| liability for IL under common law or natural
equity, but simply and solely because he hires
the workman. Compensation for accident Is
| converted into the workman's privilege not be-
| cause he is entitled to 1t as matter OF strict
Justice but because he is employed by some one
| possessing superior resources and advantages.
PROTESTS AND REPLIES.
The Earl OF Wemyss protests against the
| measure because ii Is essentially Socialistic ard
| dangerous He uses the old argument about the
thin edge Of the wedge. The measure applies
a universal principle to few trades, but os!-
| cally it must be extended to all conditions of
labor What is a general charge upon few
| trades must be made in due course burden
| upon all trades and occupations. 1t is new
| principle which modifies the relations between
| servant and master AS social philosopher he
| denounces legislation involving State interfer-
| ence between employers and employed, and
warns the Lords that it implies reputation of
| the e-honored principle Of contract
| In reply it may be said that the Compensa-
ton for Accidents bill leaves employers and en-
| pOyeQ as Tree as tHey nave always Dceu "
| make their contracts for labor but introduces
/ a new condition for the bargain. namely, that
the cost of accident shall be assessed against
! those who hire men to work for them. The con-
| tract Is not invadated, but a new clause Is in
| corporated in IL as an essential condition The
| system is not Socalstic In the sense in which
workmen's insurance Is regulated in Germany,
| with contributions from masters and men and
with the supervision Of State officials actually
provided for, but 1t Is Socialistic in spirit, since
it enforces the obligation Of the employer 10 In
sure against accident the man whom he hires.
| Controversiasts may argue that sooner or
later this burden will be carried Jointly by mas
ters and men, since it must have some ap-
preciable effect upon wages, but 1t is undenable
that. temporarily at least the State intervenes
between classes and compes employers TO pro-
tect their workmen against liability to accident.
What is almost self-evident is that the bill
would be more equitable measure If it were
more distinctly Socialistic than it Is. Victims ot
accident are now dependent either upon the
poor rates upon charity. They are provided
for in certain trades under the new measure
at the expense Of the employers without ref
erence TO their own carelessness. II an explosion
occurs in a coal mine through the heedlessness
OF an operative the penalties In life or injuries
are paid by the mine owners. II masters and
vcrkmen were both represented in joint COM
mittee in management Of an insurance fund.
with the assessments shared between classes.
there would be at once increased safeguards
against carelessness and improved relations be-
tween employers and men. The new measure
introduces the principle OF the employers obli-
cation to pay for serious fatal injuries ID
workmen in his employ under all circumstances
and without recourse to law. The wear and
tear to human life is made trade charge IKE
the impairment OF plant or buildings When
there is experience Of the precise effect OF this
! legislation the costs will be AVERAGED and levied