The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-03-09

killed or injured in the mines and the
mills and by the railroads there would
be an army far larger than has partici-
pated in any Of the great battles of the
world. The number of miners alone
who have been killed and injured in
the mines and who have died as a re-
suit Of exposure in their work during
the past twenty five years would be
greater than the standing army MAIN
tanned by this nation.
Behind the Old World.
1t is not my purpose to decry the
institutions Of my own country, be-.
cause I believe that with all our fail
ings, with all our sins Of omission and
commission, we have by far the best
and the greatest government ever in
situted among men; but I cannot
blind myself to the fact that in the
matter of providing for the life and
the safety of the workman we are lag
ging far behind the nations of the Old
World. Of course, 1t may be said that
this is not parental government, and
that the state should not be called upon
to regulate our affairs, and while I be-
l1eve that they are best governed who
are least governed I contend, never
theless, that it is the proper function
Of a government to throw around the
weakest Of it's citizens all the safe
guards and all the protection possible.
And there is no doubt that the num-
Der of accidents could be reduced ma
terially by the enactment of wise laws
or by the strict enforcement of those
now is existence.
In Germany and England.
During my recent trip abroad had
opportunity to study the laws and Gus
toms governing the workmen there,
and l am free to say that I was as
ton1shed to find how successful the
trades unions have been in securing
legislation for the protection Of the
working people. In Germany practi-
cally every workman is insured by the
government. If he is i'll or injured
he receives sum practically equal to
his wages until he is able to return to
his work. If a workman is killed the
government provides for his widow
and orphans and If the workman
grows old and unable to work he re-
ceives Il pension from the government
and is thus protected from the har-
rowing fear of hunger and want. And
what Is true Of Germany is to an ex-
tent true Of all countries in continental
Europe. In Great Britain legislation
has been enacted which makes the
employers Of labor responsible for in
juries inflicted upon workmen even
though the workman himself NAV
have been guilty Of contributory negli-
gence. Under the present compension
laws, workman who is injured is not
compelled to institute costly legal pro-
ceedtngs in order to collect damages
for his injury, but by an ARRANGEMENT
the employer is required to pay to the
workman weekly benefit; and in the
event Of his death the employer is re-
qulred to pay a sum in many instances
equal to the amount Of money the
workman would have earned during
three years. This character Of legfs-
lation has had the effect of causing the
employers to make such ARRANGEMENTS
for the safety Of the workman that
the number of accidents an dthe num-
Der of injuries steadily and materially
declined.
Punish High Officials.
BUT what Is Of equal Importance in
the prevention Of accidents in Europe
has been the action Of the courts. II a
man were killed on a European rail-
road or in a coal mine, and the accident
was the result of failure on the part
of the employer to comply with the ]
plain provisions of the law, the courts
would Immediately proceed - not
against some subordinate Official
AGAINST the president If the cnv,o no ~,
himself. And on more than one occa-
sion the court records show that severe
penalties have been inflicted upon the
real employer for failure to comply
with the law. II y:
It seems to me that legislation OF j
this character would prove of meal
culable benefit to the American work.
man. At the present time.
81 We Are Hslplsss.
adequately protect ourselves. be-