Semi-weekly herald., 1908-12-10

4
governments have found themselve
obliged to adopt.
Our present system, or rather n,
system, works dreadful wrong. and Il
of benefit to only one class OF people
the lawyers. When workman is in
jured what he needs is not an expen
sive and doubtful law suit. but tn,
certainty of relief through immediat,
/ administrative action. The number oI
accidents which result in the death OF
Gripping OF wageworkers In the unior
at large. is simply appalling; In very
few years It runs up a total far in
excess of the aggregate of the dead
and wounded in any modern war. NJ
academic theory about freedom oi
contract or constitutional liberty &c
contract" should be permitted to inter
fere with this and similar movements
Progress in civilization has every
where meant a limitation and regula.
ton of contract.
l call your especial attention to the
bulletin OF the bureau of labor, which
gives statement of the methods of
treating the unemployed in European
countries. as this is a subject which in
Germany. for instance, is treated in
connection with making provision for
worn out and crippled workmen.
Pending a thorough going investiga-
ton and action there is certain leg
islation which should be enacted at
once. The law, passed at the last ses
sion of the congress. granting com
pensation TO certain classes of employ
es of the government, should be ex
tended TO include all employees of the
government and should be made more
liberal In its terms. There Ia noxgood
ground for the distinction made In the
law between those engaged IN hazard
Gus occupations and those not so en-.
gagged. If man is injured or killed
in any line OF work, II was hazardous
in his case. Whether / per cent or
10 per cent of those following a given
occupation actually suffer injury or
death ought not to have any bearing
on the question of their receiving com.
pensation.
1t is n grim logic which says to an
injured employe or, to the dependents
of one killed that he or they are en-.
titled to no compensation because very
few people other than he have been in.
jured or killed in that. occupation
Perhaps one of the most striking omis-
sions in the law is that 1t does not
embrace peace officers and others
whose lives may be sacrificed In en-.
forcing the laws of the United States
The terms of the act providing com.
pensation should be made more liberal
than in the present act. A years com
pensation 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
months after the accident, the family
would only receive as compensation
the equivalent of one or two months
earnings. In this respect the gener.
oslty OF the United States toward its
employees compares most unfavorably
with that of every country In Europe
tho pnnraut
The terms of the act are also hard
ship In prohibiting payment in cases
where the accident is In any way due
to the negligence of the employe. II
is inevitable that daily familiarity
with danger will lead men to take
chances that can be construed into
negligence. So well is this recognized
that in practically all countries in
the civilized world, except the United
States, only a degree OF negligence
acts as bar to securing compen-
sation.
Probably in no other respect Is our
legislation, both state and national, SO
far behind practically the entire ciyi.
lized world as In the matter Of liza
bility and compensation for accidents
in industry. 1t is humiliating that at
European International congresses on
accidents the United States should be
singled out as the most belated 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 1t should set stand
ard in this country which would place
1t on par with the most progressive
countries In Europe. The laws of tn,
United States in this respect and thu
laws of European countries have beeI
summarized in recent bulletin of thu
bureau OF labor. and no American VIII,
reads this summary can fail to b.
struck by the great contrast between
| our practices and theirB-a conlras
not In any sense to our credit
The congress Should without furthe
delay pass a model employers liabil
ity law for the District OF Columbia
The employers liability act recent