The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-02-07
For the Protection Of the Lives and Limbs
Workrnen is Main Subject of
mITCHELL'S SPEECH TO INDIANA SENATE
Employers Forced to Live up to Law IN REGARD TO
Safeguarding Against Accident the Number of Dis
asters Will be Greatly Diminished

John Mitchell, National Presi.
dent of the United Mine Workers
Of America, at the invitation of the
Indiana State Senate, addressed
that body last week. He said in
part:
''There can be no doubt of the ad-
visibility of securing wise and rea-
sonable legislation for the protect
ion Of wage earners, especially OF
women and children. HUnfor-
tunately, society does not
seem to feel itself capable of con-
Quoting its industries without the
aid of its weaker members. With
each advance in production, with
esSh.increase of wealth and the ca
PAxrty of increasing wealth, women
sd children, in ever larger num-
bers, are drafted into service. If
trade uniOniSm had done nothing
else for the good of humanity, it
would have justified its existence
by its efforts in behalf of working
women and children.
ats chief endeavor in ameliora-
ting the hardship of women's work
has been in the direction of eXclu-
ding them from certain kinds of
employment, i'll improving the san
itary conditions of their work, and
in reducing the length of their
working day. At one time women
were employed in mines, but
through the instrumentality OF
trades unions this inhumanity was
done away with. Women workers
have also been excluded from some
trades which impair their hea tn
or Injuriously affect their morals
"but even more important than
the benefits conferred by trade un
lonl>m upon women workers have
been its efforts in behalf of toiling
children. Since the birth of the
factory system thousands of chill
dren have been mustered into the
factories, and, Oh account OF their
nlmbieness, their docility, their
powerlesSneSS to resist oppression
and the low wages which they have
been obliged to accept, have been
permitted to diSplace men and tc
rum themselves by work unSuited
1T is hard to reconcile the yaun.
tea humanity and intelligence OF
this era with the wholesale EN-,
ployment of children. 1t is diff,
cult TO conceive of anything more
utterly absurd and immoral. and
the fearful deStructivenesS of this
expectation of children before
they arrive at strength or maturi
~ should inspire statesmen &c
legislate against this abomination
ana eliminate it root and branch
Driving Of women and children is
THIS country's shame.
lin Great Britain legislation has
pcen enacted which makes the EN-.
ploNeiS of labor responsible for in.
JurleS inflicted upon workmen even
ChouSh the workman himself may
nave been guilty of contributorN
negligence. Under the present
compensation laws. a workman
VINO Is injured is not compelled t(
institute costly legal proceeding.
III order to collect damages for his
injury, but by an arrangement tn,
eh'ployer ls required to pay to th,
%ofk man weekly benefit: and il
me event of his death the employ
er Is required to pay sum il
many instances equal to the amoun
VI money the workman would have
earned during three years. Thi:
character of legislation has had tn,
erect of forcing the employers t,
make such arrangements for th'
safety OF the workman that tn,
mum Der of accidents and the mum
per OF fatalities steadily and ma
terlally declined.
But what is of equal import
ahce In the prevention of accident
IN Europe has been the attitude O
the courts If a man were kille,
On European railroad or in a Goa
nhlhe, and the accident were tn
result of failure on the part of tn
employer to comply with the plai
provisions of the law, the Court
would Immediately proceed-nc