The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-08

that it does not embrace peace officers
and others whose lives may be sacri-
feed in enforcing the laws of the
United States. The terms of the act
providing compensation should be
made more liberal than in the present
act A years compensation is not
adequate for a wage earner's family
in the event of his death by accident
in the course of his employment. And
in the event of death occurring, say,
ten or eleven months after the acct
dent the family would only receive as
compensation the equivalent of one or
two months earnings. In this respect
the generosity of the United States
toward its employees compares most
unfavorably with that of every coun-
try in Europe-even the poorest.
The terms of the act are also a
hardship in prohibiting payment in
cases where the accident is in any
way due to the negligence of the en-
pIoyee, 1t is inevitable that daily IA
miIiarity with danger will lead men to
take chances that can be construed
into negligence. So well is this recog-
nized that in practically all countries
in the civilized world, except the Unit
ed States, only great degree of negli-
gence acts as bar to securing COM
pensation. Probably in no other re-
spect is our legislation, both state and
national. so far behind practically the
entire civilized world as in the matter
of liability and compensation for ac-
cidentS in industry. 1t is humiliating
that at European international con-
crosses on accidents the United States
should be singled out as the most be-
lated among the nations in respect to
employers liability legislation. This
government is itself a large employer
of labor, and in its dealings with its
employees it should set u standard in
this country which would place it on
a par with the most progressive coun-
tries in Europe. The laws of the
United States in this respect and the
laws of European countries have been
summarized in a recent bulletin of the
bureau of labor, and no American who
reads this summary can fail to be
struck by the great contrast between
our practices and theirs-a contrast
not in any sense to our credit.
The congress should without further
delay pass a model employers liability
law for the District of Columbia. The
clared unconstitutional on account of
apparently including in its provisions
employees engaged in intrastate COM
merce as well as those engaged in in
terstate commerce has been held by
the local courts to be still in effect so
far as its provisions apply to the Dis
trict of Columbia. There should be no
ambiguity on this point. If there is
any doubt on the subject the law
should be re-enacted, with special ref
erence to the District of Columbia.
This act, however, applies only to emf
ployees of common carriers. In all
other occupations the liability law of
the District is the old common law.
The severity and injustice of the COM
mon law in this matter have been in
some degree or another modified in
the majority of our states, and the
only jurisdiction under the exclusive
control of the congress should be
ahead and not behind the states of the
Union in this respect. A comprehen-
siye employers liability law should be
passed for the District of Columbia.
1 renew my recommendation made
in a previous message that half holt
days be granted during the summer to
all wageworkers in government en-
ploy.
l also renew my recommendation
that the principle of the eight hour day
should as rapidly and as far as prac-
ticable be extended to the entire work
being carried on by the government.
The present law should be amended to
embrace contracts on those public
works which the present wording of
the act seems to exclude
The Courts.
1 most earnestly urge upon the con-
gress the duty of increasing the totally
inadequate salaries now given to our
judges. On the whole, there is no body
of public servants who do as valuable
work nor whose moneyed reward is so
inadequate compared to their work
Beginning with the supreme court, the
judges should have their salaries dou
bled. 1t is not BETTING the dignity of
the nation that it's most honored public
servants should be paid sums so small
compared to what they would earn in
private life that the performance of
public service by them implies an ex-
ceedingly heavy pecuniary sacrifice.
1t is earnestly to be desired that
some method should be devised for do
ing away with the long delays which
now obtain in the administration of
justice and which operate with pecul- |
lar severity against persons of small |
means and favor only the very crimi- |
nails whom it is most desirable to pun |
ish. These long delays in the final |
decisions of cases make in the aggre-
gate crying evil, and remedy should |
be devised. Much of this intOlerable
delay is due to improper regard paid to
which are a mere hin