Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-07
NATION AS MODEL EMPLOYER
Compensation for Injured Federal Eni-
ploycs Should be Provided

| pIOycS SItOul(I DS ITONlkCu
| The national government should be
model employer. 1t should demand. the
highest quality Of service from each Of
it's employees and it should care for all
of them properly In return Congress
tied but dennite compensation for ae-
OF ehe eaera us T esS
Of navy yards, and arsenals: n other
words, model employers liability act;
be enacted which should apply to. all
positions, public and private. over which
the NATIONAL at sovernment, has jurisd,c
ventable and those, that are not, has
become appalling IN the mechanics zen nnsr
ship to D the he or si and
am ans ACCIDENT ,ay ' fall as Solely e upon him. and
on the other hand, there are whole
classes of attorneys who exist only by
, been wronged to undertake, suits fer
negligence. As matter OF TACT 2 SUIT
for nesgenGe Is ge zen nny.oa an ,n mae
Portlonate annoyanee to the employee mp. e:
The bs mad bv he
. would be automatic instead Of beins
e matter for law suits Werkmen should
ton tne'S for ali ia accidents in industry r.
: respective Of negligence. The employer
: Is the agent of the public and on MS
: he serves the public. When he starts in
!, motion agencies which create risks for
d others, he should take all the ordinary
a and extraordinary risks involved; ana
e the risk he thus at the. moment as
t sumes viii! ultimately be assumed; as 1t
ought to be- by the genera, al. pn .Snck Q,
the "'y accident be dirfused, instead Of
v falling upon the man or woman Least nt
. com at large should share tho
= burdens as well as the benefits OF In
dustry. BY the proposed law, employ.
e determine it, while the worxnan and
his family would ,, be sl relieved ,,1,cr rom ~a,,,s
is be reduced in number The p n. lena,
to on aw railroads s engaged in interstate com.
Is merce and for safety appliances, as well
,e as for diminishing the hours n r any s
to Wherever W rie In actual practice they have
oe shown weakness; they should be kept on
tn the statute books In thoroughgoins form.
n, is UP TO FEDERAL COURT
If The constitutionality Of the employ
~ ers' liability act passed by the. proceed
~ Ing congress has been carried oetor !,
~ has been declared Unconstitutional ana
al In three jurisdictions Its constituttonati.y
has been affirmed. The question h ~
been carried to the supreme court, tins
T.. case case has been heard by that tribunal
nc and decision is expected at an early
vs. date. In the event that me cour tbs ant
Up, advocated in my message to the pre- pre-
nd esdng burds ee % loss to lie
ole limb upon the victim or the. victim
form e s,os social aa in5sst, IL
WhiGh the prominence naea In both our
or eral and o our state legislation We have
IA with few exceptions scarcely t gene ssr
aw , vant ' principe OF the old law, Of Tia
an bility, and in some of our states eye e,
10 10 this slight modification or &c hser ss
fe' cured. The legislation OF the resi- III, =
err the industrial world stands out IN str'K |,
the nE rssneet since o 1895 PRACTICALLY
,ge c cnin Of Europe, together With Grea
t.. Britain. New Zealand. Australia, sT Wan
iti- has enacted legislation embodying In on
At form or another the complete recosn,
the ton of the principle which places nPp
v the Congress- .ss the enactment Of Ia,
SIS. which will at the same time pring ie y
'lu- ready Established by all the Europea
9th countries, and which will serve as
viii STIMULUS ,Ssr to lef ths HeT0G n shs regard
SHOULD EXTEND THE 8-HoUR Law
The congress should consider the e'
OF .onniop ~ the eight-hour law. The cor
nue. stitutionalty of the present law has r.
the Gently been called into question and II
htss supreme court has decided that the w, :,
St' re pewers Of the Congress The priI
ow. ~ ~, ~ the etaht-hour day should
the appid,o and as far as practicable
out aaaattanisd ia the entire work carried c
ex- bV the government; and the present Ia
1t should Be emended to embrace Gontrac
be- on those public works which the pre-
ime vi, . nrdinp Of the act has been col
will rtrued to exclude. The genera intr
an, ducton OF the eight-hour day should
and W 20, toward which we should stea
,uld t Ine go and the government should s