Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-08-05

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Law and Labor.
The following paragraph is from the
London (EnglanO Sketch of recent
date.
The sensibilities of the home Sec
rotary prevented him from admitting
these six victims of lead poisoning
with the rest Of the deputation from
the potteries who saw him the other
day at the home Office. The boy, the
two girls, and the woman In the group
are blind, and the two men are suffer-
ing from lead paralysis. The fatal lead
glaze used for coating pottery ware did
the mischief. This glaze is most
murderous agency. Within the last
few months 1t has caused four deaths,
and the cases of total or partial blind
ness that have come to light number
nearly dozen. 1t is we'll known that
glazes can be prepared so as to be
harmless, and letter from manufac-
turer was read by a member of the
deputation in which the opinion was
expressed that, if lead poisoning was
brought under the workmen's compen-
sation act, the whole of the pottery
trade would be put on a safe footing
within three months. But the home
secretary does not see his way to going
to the root of the mischief; and,
though the great majority Of pottery
operatives are women and children, he
refuses to appoint woman as factory
inspector for the district"
There is nothing very unusual in
above paragraph. 1t simply suggests
few reasons why there is great eff
fort put forth to regulate some things
by law that would need no such regula-
ton, and could be much better taken
care Of otherwise, If the public at large
only willed it. In the first place 1t as
sumes, and no doubt correctly, that as
far as some manufacturing potters are
concerned, their employees may be
damned" so long as pottery Is made
in the manner most profitable to the
employers. That 1t Is simply case
of sacrificing the health of many en-
ployes for the sake of cheaper produc-
tion appears from the suggestion that
II potteries were put under the British
workmen's compensation act-an en-
ployers' liability law-the process that
induces lead-poisoning would be aban-
doned for safer one So much for
the employer. Now for another culp-
able factor.
Most consumers of glazed pottery are
people who, by reason of their lack Of
great wealth, and their modes of earn
ing a livelihood are comprehended un-
der the term Of working people. Not
many of them work in potteries, but
their class includes the pottery work
ers, and of the class as whole 1t Is
pre-eminently true that IAN injury to
one is an injury to ALL" Yet the low
est priced pottery finds the readiest
market, and the consumer Of pottery,
like the manufacturer, says by his acts
Just as forcefully as does the latter,
that as long as he buys pottery at a
low price the maker of the ware may
be damned" 1t would need no law to
eradicate the deadly lead-poisoning
element from the pottery business If
all manufacturers Of that ware were
simply ordinarily considerate of the
welfare of their fellow-beings who
work for them. And 1t would need no
law we're the buyer of pottery suffi-
GENTLY regardful of the wellbeing of
his fellows to decline to buy, even at
low price, the ware that is glazed with
lead, eye-sight and human life. So
that the uncomfortable fact appears be-
tween the lines Of TIE Sketch paragraph
that regard for the welfare Of ones fell
low-beings Is not nearly so general in
the world as it is sometimes assumed to
be. Then, concerning the suggestion
To directly or indirectly abolish the
deadly process by law. There can be
no doubt that speedy abolition would
be proper, and desirable. But it should
never be forgotten that, speaking gen
erally. laws to be efficacious must, in
representative governments, follow
public sentiment and be its expression
AS a rule, laws that are in advance of
public opinion, or not in harmony with
It, are either ignored or evaded. 1t is
disregard of this fact that has put and
kept on statute books the great number
of futile enactments that cucumber
them. But If the public will not awaken
to its duty, those who do recognize it
can hardly be blamed If they try to
make of law an educator, instead or the
result of education. Under such condi-
tions, however, the work has Just be-
gun with the enactment Of the statute.
Unless the public sense of right is
brought up to the law, the latter will
sooner or later, and usually sooner,
fail. This is true not only in England,
but in America as we'll, and the wrongs
! in the British pottery industry are but