The evening times., 1902-04-22
SOCIAL, SCIENTISTS
DISCUSS ECONOMICS

The most depressing feature of the
situation lies in the fact that the very
principles involved IN this gradual evo-
luton from the limited liability of the
employers to that of the compulsory
naturalization BY them of practically all
injured employees. are as yet not even
cOmpTehended by the United States Evil
IDENTIFY il is useless to expect any decided
legislation unless the people generally are
made TO see the justice and correctness
CT the position for which we are contend
ing, and which has SO recently been as
sumeu by Great Britain. The first step
therefore. consists in The education of
public opinion. This once accomplished.
legislation viii inevitably follow
English Wcrkingman's Compensation Act
Mr. u Maurice Low, the weII-knovn
newspaper man, read a paper on The
English WorkingTnan's Compensation
Act saying in part:
The individual is nothing society IS
/ everything; but society for its own vel
/ fare and happiness must protect the in
dividual and conserve his rights. That
/ doctrine is neither socialism nor iudivid-
/ uallsm- nor collectivism- It is the best of
/ all that is good IN all three It is the
I broad elevating humanity OF today.
/ Between the republic of Plato. where
! government was to be little better than a
magniheG policeman, where government
/ would preserve order and collect the
/ taxes, but do little else, and the anarchy
/ OF Rousseau. where every man was 10
govern as his will moved him, is the
1 cbssm Of brutality and ignorance and in
| difference CT the centuries that the in
| teIligence and keen appreciation of the
/ wants of the many and the broad human
i ity Of man for man began TO bridge;
/ which the twentieth century with its sym
/ pathy and constant striving for d more
/ perfect state viii complete. Society to-
/ day is no longer content TO regard gov
| eTnment-that is to say, its executive Of
I fcers and agents, Tor government is sim
/ ply the convenient machinery to execute
/ the viii OF the peopIe-as merely the po-
4 liceman and the tax gatherer- Govern
ment must not only collect the taxes and
! punish the guilty 1t must protect the
| weak, suceor the distressed, extend the
! friendly hand 20 all those who are suf-
! fering in mind and body; it must inspire
/ and uplift; it must stimulate the timid
and carb the audacious; il must be to
( them what Christ vas to the multitude,
/ and even as Christ said: Come unto me
/ all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest, SO govern
meat must be to them haven of refuge
and a tower Of strength.
The British workman's compensation
/ act is noteworthy as an advanced step in
/ social legislation; noteworthy that this
/ advanced legislation should be enacted in
a country SO conservative as Great Brit
ain.
Protection TO Employer and Employe-
IF an injury is caused to workman
| by an accident arising out of the course
of his employment, but which is not due
TO the negligence of the empIoye, or the
7T,4f
governing the employment, the compen-
sation shall be. in case Of his death, no:
less than ESQ nor more than $500, In
case OF total or partial incapacity as the
result Of injury, the workman is entitled
/ 20 a compensation based on his average
/ weekly earnings, but not 10 exceed q a
week The law makes stringent pro-
/ visions to prevent fraud on empIoyeTsand
/ TO safeguard the rights Of the workme1.
/ To avoid litigation as much as possible,
provision is made for arbitrating differ
/ ences and for simple court proceedings
| when arbitration Is declined by either
/ party.
/ ANY change IN the relations existing
/ p between employer and empioye is i'm
portant in the bearing 1t has u upon
production and prohts5 q whether labor
gains BY the change; % whether it mas
any effect in improving the relations be-
tween capital and labor.
What effect the law has had upon pro-
duction and profits can be answered 0Ely
in a very general way. and not with that
exactness that can be regarded as con
elusive The law has not yet been sub
jected TO the great test that is the touch
stone of all economic laws-tbat Is, fall
I ing market-and until It has been submit
ted to that test the cautious investigator
viii hold his judgment in suspense One
may. however, afnrmatively assert that the
effect CT the law since its operation has
/ not curtafled production, nor has it so
far as anyone has been able to discover,
had any effect on profits.
Benefit to Labor.
ut is very much easier to answer the
second question. what labor has gained by
the new law. UnhesitatingIy it can be said
that labor has gained much, very much;
it has proRted not only materially but
morally, and the moral gain has been as
important as the material. The employe
has been made 10 feel that when ill-luck
befaIls him. when through no fault Of his
reyr77 bT7r ufruTlfL- Dire farf that he