The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-06
EMPLOYERS LIABILITY ACT.
An IMPORTANT MEASURE WHICH
PASSED THE HOUSE.
II Vow Awaits Action In the senate
Pratt Of King, the Sponsor tor
the Bsll. Works Hard to Secure

Special Dispatch to the Pcst-Intelligencer.
OLYMPIA, March 5.-Pratts employers
liability act, which has passed the house
and now awaits final acton in the senate. Is
one Of the most important measures that
has been considered by this legislature
Under the present law an enpioye IL killed
or injured through. the negligence OF fea-
low servant has 40 relief except through
the common law. The Pratt blu provides
that II an empioye IS injured while in tie
performance of his duties ard acting I'M
der the instruction OF the vice principal or
agent. he may recover damages. This is
the law In very many OF the Eastern states.
The bill was passed in the house Mareh
through the active efforts Of Mr.. Pratt,
who worked necessarily ON the measure,
relying more on individual effort than up
on experimenting on final passage.
When the bin was reached. however, ne
spoke at some length. He explained the
origin of the rule laid down by the English
court from which had flowed SO much In
justice. A butchers helper was driving
wagon to market sometime in 1910. 1t
broke down and he was injured. He
brought an action against the employer.
but the court held that all who worked for
others for wages took upon themselves the
ordinary risks and hazards of the employ
ment for which they offered themselves.
But In Scotland 1t had long before that
time been the common law that master
was liable for injuries sustained by the
servant through negligence not his own
which the employer should have preyensv1
In France il was the same under the civil
code.
In order to remedy the abuses arising I'M
der the English law there was passed in
1850 what is known as the employers la
b!lity act: and several Of the states, inciud-
ing Iowa. Indiana, Massachusetts. Ala
bama and Georgia have similar laws, al
though not one is SO sweeping as the law
OF conservative and aristocratic England.
In conclusion, Mr. Pratt said the iegis-
lature had been very fair in its watchful-
ness of the interests of the farmer; ii had
taken care OF the interests Of the wealthy
trap owner, 1t mad thrown Its protection
around the delinquent taxpayer, come to
the relief Of the b.cyclist and had pro-
NOTED the sport of the hunter. Ii had
been sclcitous for the safety of cattle.
and even passed laws for the better Sc
curity of swine. He appealed TO it not
to disregard the human cry of the help
less. humble toiler who asked this meas
ure OF Justice at their hands Human
life. he said, g the cheapest instrument
used in the operation of railroad He
knew that railroad companies did not
want accidents to happen which should
destroy cars or damage the roadbed II
takes all care against any interference
with profits or It's dividend-paying ca
pacity. 1t may be depended upon to take
all pains TO preserve Its property, because
that costs money. but ii is only by the
stern hand of legislation that any device
for the safety of employees has been
adopted
Car coupler, have cost more lives and
limbs than any one part of railroad oper-
alton, yet IL took years OF persistent eff
fort to compel the roads TO adopt auto
matte coupiers. The house had been COM
PEELED TO pass law requiring them 10
protect frogs and switches, and had by
that act alone admitted that railroads
VIII not voluntarily adopt the most ordi-
nary precautions for safety.
All that the Legislature was asked TO do
was that when an employee has been in
tured by the negligence of his principal
when he Is MANNED or crippled in the
performance Of a duty he could not re-
fuse to do, and In doing which he has a
right to be protected, he shall be given
the opportunity to submit his claim TO a
court of law. The purpose was defined in
decision by the queens bench in which
IL was declared that such law places
the workman in as advantageous a posi-
ton as but no better than, the rest of the
world who use the masters premises.
As the railroad attorneys had protested
publicly before the railroad commit
tees against the passage of this BILL
IL was expected that there would be q
fight made against il in the house. but AZ
the conclusion of Mr.. Pratt's speech the
roll was called and the bin passed. 1t
now goes 10 the senate.
Pratt's bill is a compromise. He in
PRODUCED the bill agreed upon at the labor
congress held in Olympia recently. but he
found the opposition too strong. That bill
would have applied 20 all kinds of ma
ch.nery including that used on farms and
i'm small mills. Mr. Pratt soon saw that
he could not hope TO prevail against a
combination Of the railroads. the ioggers
ard the farmers. and decided upon the
more conservative course. In which he had
the cooperation and approval of Mr.. ]
r. w Johnston. delegated by the railroad
ernioyes and Northwest labor congress
10 lobby for the biii. The judiciary com
mittee. consisting Of Jesse A Frye James
Mtckershans. A. z. Heitie. &. s Gleason
James Calvert. C. w. Somerndyke. Wal
lace Mount G /. Gose. Charles Bedford
W Byron Daniels Harvey y r. Myers
Ira + Englehart r 8 Lambert I