Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-05

science and securing unity Of state
action In the matter. There is, how
ever, one law on the subject which
should be enacted Immediately, be-
cause there Is no need for an investi-
cation in reference thereto, and the
failure to enact It is dlscreditable to
the national government A drastic
and thorough-going child-labor law
should be enacted for the District of
Columbia and the territories.
Employers Liability
Among the excellent laws which the
congress passed at the last session was
an employers liability law. 1t was q
marked step in advance to get the rec
ognition of employers liability on the
statute books but the law did not go
far enough. In spite OF all precautions
exercised by employers there are un-
aVoidable accidents and even deaths
involved in nearly every line of business
connected with the mechanic arts.
This inevitable sacrifice of life may
be reduced to a minimum, but IL cam
not be completely eliminated. It is a
great social injustice to compel the
employe or rather the family of the
killed or disabled victim, to bear the
entire burden of such an inevitable
sacrifice In other words, society
shirks its duty by laying the whole
cost on the victim, whereas the injury
comes from what may be called the
legitimate risks of the trade. Compen-
sation for accidents or deaths due in
any line of industry to the actual con-
ditions under which that industry is
carried on, should be paid by that por-
ton of the community for the benefit
of which the industry is carried on
that is. by those who profit by the
industry. If the entire trade risk is
placed upon the employer he Will
promptly and properly add it to the
legitimate cost of production and as
sess it proportionately upon the con-
sumers of his commodity. 1t is there
fore clear to my mind that the law
should place this entire risk of
trade" upon the employer. Neither the
federal law nor, as far as / am in
formed, the state laws dealing with
the question of employers liability are
sufficiently thoroughgoing The fed
eral law should of course include en-
ployes in navy yards, arsenals and the
like.
investigation of Disputes Between
Capital and Labor
The commission appointed by the
president October 16, 1902, at the re-
quest of both the anthracite coal opera
tors and miners, to inquire into, con-
slider and pass upon the questions in
strike in the anthracite regions of
Pennsylvania and the causes out of
which the controversy arose, in their
report, findings and award expressed
the belief that the state and federal
governments should provide the ma
chinery for what may be called the
compulsory investigation of contro-
versies between employers and en-
ployes when they arise" This express
sion of belief is deserving of the favor
able consideration of the congress and
the enactment of it's provisions into
law. A bill has already been intro
duced to this end.
Records show that during the twenty
years from January l, 1881, to Decem-
ber 81, 1900, there were strikes affect
ing 117,509 establishments, and 6105,-
694 employees were thrown out of en-
ployment. During the same period
there were zoos lockouts, involving
nearly 10000 establishments, throwing
over 100000 people out of employ
ment. These strikes and lockouts in
yolved an estimated loss to employees
of $307, ,000 900 and to employers of $143,-
100000, total of 450,000,0 10000. The pub
lie suffered directly and indirectly
probably as great additional loss. But
the money loss, great as it was, did not
measure the anguish and suffering en-
dured by the wives and children of en-
ployes whose pay stopped when their
work stopped, or the disastrous effect
of the strike or lockout upon the busi-
ness of employers, or the increase in
the cost of products and the incon-
venience and loss to the public.
The Judicial Spirit
Many of these strikes and lockouts
would not have occurred had the par
ties to the dispute been required to
appear before an unprejudiced body
representing the nation and, face to
face, state the reasons for their conten-
ton. In most instances the dispute
would doubtless be found to be due to
misunderstanding by each of the
others rights, aggravated by an un-
willingness of either party to accept as
true the statements of the other as
to the justice or injustice of the mat
ters in dispute. The exercise of a
judicial spirit by a disinterested body
representing the federal government,
such as would be provided by a COM
mission on conciliation and arbitration,
would tend to create an atmosphere of
friendliness and Cancellation between
the contending parties; and the giving
each side an equal opportunity to pre-
sent fully it's case in the presence of
the other would prevent many disputes
from developing into serious strikes or
lockouts, and, in other cases, would
enable the commission to persuade the
opposing parties to come to terms
In this age of great corporate and
labor combinations, neither employers
nor employees should be, left COM
pletely at the mercy of the stronger
party to a dispute, regardless of the
righteousness of their respective claims.
The proposed measure would be in the
line OF securing recognition of the fact
| that in many strikes the public has
itself an interest which cannot wisely
be disregarded; an interest not merely
of general convenience, for the ques-
tion of just and proper public policy
must also be considered. In all legisla-
tion of this kind it is well to advance
cautiously, testing each step by the
actual results; the step proposed can
surely be safely taken for the decisions
of the commission would not bind the
parties in legal fashion, and yet would
give a chance for public opinion to
crystallize. and thus to exert its full
force for the right.
Withdrawal of Coal Lands
! 1t is not wise that the nation should
ALLEVIATE its remaining coal lands.