The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-03

| turn. Congress should adopt Loci. L.
tion providing limited but druuit
compensation FOR accidents TO a.
workmcn within the scope of the CrJ
eral power including employees %
navy yards and arscnals. In otlc
words. model employers liability ur,
far reaching and thoroughsoug. sh,rl
he enacted which should apply to al
positions. public ana private. oy,
which the national government ha.
jurisdiction. The number Of acciIlcu'.
TO wagcworkcrs, Including those tla.
are prevcntable and Aosc that mr.,
not. has become appalling In the me
chanicai. manufacturing and transpor
tation operations of the day. II vor,,
grim hardship TO the ordinary vurr
worker and his family to have the cI
fect OF such an accident IAN solely up
on him. and. on the other hand thcr
are whole classes OF attorneys who ,x
Isl only 10y melting men who may @
may not have been wrongcd TO undcr
take suits for negligence. As matte
OF fact, suit for negligence Is gen
orally nm inadequate remedy for tlt
person injured. while II often cause
altogether disproportionate annoyau,,
10 the employer. The law should l.,
made such that the payment for ac,i
dents 10y the employer would be auto
matte Instead of being matter ro
lawsuits. Workmcn should rcccl,,
certain and definite compensation fo
all accidents In industry lrrcspcctiy,
OF negligence. The employer Is IL
agent OF the public. and on his o,y.
responsibility and for his own profit h
serves the public. When he starts f.,
motion agencies which create risks fu
others he should take nll the ordiuar
and extraordinary risks Involved. and
the risk he thus Mt the moment ~
sumes will ultimately be assumed
II ought 10 tie, by the general publ,
only In this way can the shock Of the
accident be dilruscd instead Of rallin
upon the man or woman least able Zoo
bear II. MS Is now the case. The com
munity at large should share the bur
dens as well as the benefits of indus
try. BY the proposed law employer /
would gain a desirable certainty o
obligation and get rid of LITIGATION T. /
determine II. while the workman am /
his family would I've relieved from 3: /
crushing load. With such poll, .
would come Increased care. AMI acci .
dents would be reduced in number. Tn, |
national laws providing for employer.
Liability on railroads engaged la intr.
state commerce and for safety appn
ances. as well as for diminishing ill.,,
hours any employee of Il railroa
should be permitted to work. shoul.
all DE strengthened wherever in actuy
practice they have shown weaNncsa
They should bc kept on the statut,
books in thnroughgolng form.
The consttutionallty OF the employ
ers' liability act passed by the precrd
ing congress has been carried before
the courts. In two jurisdictions III,
law has been declared unconstltution
al. and in three jurisdictions its con
stitutlonalltv has been affirmed The
question has bcen carried to the su
preme court. the case has been hear,
by that tribunal. ANA decision Is cS
pected at an early date. In the event
that the court should affirm the consti
lutonality of the act | urgr rur,hc!
legislation along the lines advocate,
IN my message TO the preceding con
srcss. The practice of putting the en-
Tire burden of loss to life or limb upo.
the victim or the victims family Is q
form of social Injustice In which Il.
United States stands In unenviab,c
prominence. In both our federal ana
tA inssfet L., ]
exceptions. scarcely gone further than
'he repeal OF the fellow servant prin
,iple of the old law of liability. ana IN
some OF our states even this sli,bt
notification of II completely outgrown
has not yet been secured
The legislation OF the rest of the indus.
rial world stands out In striking con
rast to our baCliwardncss In this re-
'pect. Since lS95 practically ever,
country of Europe. together with Great
Britain, New Zealand. Australia. Brit
sh Columbia and the Cape OF Goo
Hope. has enacted legislation cmbody
ng IN one form or another the com !
Iletc recognition of the principle which
Ilaces upon the employer the entire
race risk In the various lines Of IN ,
lustry. ! urge upon the congress the ,
enactment of a law which will ut Tho :
anne time bring federal legislation NJ ,
q the standard already established u. ,
III the European countries ami which q
yill serve MS stimulus to the various /
tatcS to perfect their legislation IN .
his regard.
Eight Hour Law. /
The congress should consider the cx- c
enslon Of the eight hour law. The con |
of the present law has c
ecently been called into question ana \
he supreme court has decided that the a
Sistlng legislation is unquestionably (
within the powers Of the congress d
The principle OF the eight hour day (
hould as rapidly and MS far as prac. {
icahlc be extended TO the entire WORK v
arricd on 10y the government. ana the d
lu,t. StnuIl L.. ,,Y.r.1.I g.. ..... =,