Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-11
CARE FOR DISABLED
Proposed to Remedy Neglect
by Government.
URGED By THE PRESIDENT
Efforts to Be Made to Pass the
Alexander Bill.
SEVEN BEST BOOKS FOR BOYS
Telephones Established in the st.
Bernard Pass-Automobiles to
Be Used for Rescues.
URGED BY THE PRESIDENT
SEVEN BEST BOOKS FOR BOYS
RY WILLIAM f.. CURTIS.

RY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
! TIE President has several times urged
( on Congress the necessity of enacting
some legislation for taking care OF en-
moves VINO suffer injury while engaged
IN the public service. Representative
,lexander of Buffalo has prepared bill
which meets his approval and has heen
placed on the program of legislation for
this session.
/ This is not a new subject. Like the
poor We have it always with us 1t is
perennial and every year tine necessity Of
providing for faithful public servants in
the civil service who have been injured
/ in the performance of their duty and of
ma king some provision for the families
, Of those who are killed by accidents for
which they are not responsible, is demon
strated in manner that convinces every
body but Congress. Soldiers of the army
and sailors of the navy are taken care o.
Wien they become disabled. We have q
long pension list: we have soldiers and
sailors ZONES and hospitals and We even
furnish artificial limbs free of cost to
veterans who need them. AS the Presi-
dent says. in one of his recent messages:
THE government should show its good
faith by enacting a further law giving
compensa ton to its own employees for in
jury o. death incurred in its s:rv.ce II
IS a reproach TO lis as nation that in
both federal and state legislation We have
afforded less protection to public and
private employees Tran any ether industrial
country in tie world.
A friend has recently called my attan-
ton to some striking cases Of injustice
suffered by faithful employees of tho gov
eminent which confirm the words OF the
President in striking manner:
Patrick Powell's Case.
Patrick Powell has been in service on
the Great Lakes since 1879 on the light
house tender Dahlia. and has been sec
ond mate and first officer since 1890 There
is not black mark on his record. He
has received the highest commentator
from every one OF his superior officers.
and Rear Admiral &. f. Clark. who
brought the Oregon around from San
Francisco during the Spanish war. rec
commended him for a medal for saving hu-
man lite some years ago.
About the 10th Of October. 1907. Powell
fell some twenty feet in a dry dock at
going repairs. His skull was fractured
with conclusion of the brain. and two
ribs and his left hip were broken. In an
unconscious and nearly dying state he
Chicago. The United States Marine Hos
pital is several miles distant from the
scene of the accident. but The surgeons
state that he would not have lived TO
reach there. He nearly died on the oper-
ating table. but his strong constitution
and the care OF the good sisters pulled
him through. but he is permanently disa-
bled. He will never ne fit for service
again. His left leg will be two inches
short.
Mr. Powell's pay not only stopped at
the end OF sixty days. but ne is com
PEELED TO pay the charges for room and
attendance a. the hospital. which were
80 week for over two months. and the
fees of the surgeons. which would have
been several hundred dollars but owing
to their generosity. the bill is only 500
But even this. with other expenses. will
make total Of about 800 for Nj Powell,
TO pay for surgical treatment for al in
jury received in the line OF duty after
his wages have stopped and he has been
dropped from the service. because he is
unit for duty. He served the government
faithfully for thirty;wo years. His wages
were small. so small that he was unable
10 save anything out Of them. And now
that he is unable 10 take care of hir-
self. he is kicked out Of the service with
ONT even an expression OF commentator
or good Will. 1t is not tie fault of the
lighthouse board Ii is owing to the lack
of law authorizing the officials of that
board to pay for Powelfs expenses in
treated him. and 10 provide for him the
rest of his life
Representative DENLY is doing every
thing he can for POwell's relief but Con
gress alone can provide for him until a
general law Is passed
Other Cases Cited.
There was another case in the light
house service on the tender Dahlia. not
long ago Assistant Engineer Wexall
was killed while on duty at Muskegon
inspecting the construction OF light
ship He was fine officer. with spot
less record. and leaves widow and
enid unprovided for. But the light
house board can do nothing for them
lhey have to take care of themselves.
Frederick w. Rather. lighthouse keeper
al Wankegan. H. was blown from the
pier last winter in gale and drowned
he left a wife and three young children
small insurance. but the company re-
fused TO pay because his BODY has not
been recovered. The other employees of
The lighthouse service in that district
have contributed from their small in
comes TO relieve the immediate necessi
ties OF Mrs. Rather. but the government
has done nothing. and the family of n
1aithful servant Of the richest nation In
the world are now objects OF charity.
TheSe are not isolated cases, they are
examples Of what IL occurring all the
time Every month somebody liz in
jured or a life is lost. and the light
house board Is entirely without means
or authority to relieve the distress or
feed the hungry. An employee in the
life-saving service. if disabled. will re-
ceive two or three years full pay. In
case Of death his family receives two
years pay. and Supt, kimball. in his
recent report. urges Legislation for pen
sions which are well deserved The
same provision should be made Tor mem
bers of the lighthouse service. whose
employees receive very small wages only
from 81 to $1.1o per day. without
pensions or retirement allowances, and
no system of insurance. And the cost
OF living which they must meet mas m
creased with them just as IL mas win
every other class in the community.
Representative Foss of Chicago is
collecting the facts concerning these
cases. and will introduce bills Tor thf
relief of MIR. Powell and the widow or
Mr. Rather He hopes to be able 10 Sc
cure their passage at the present toh-
gress without waiting for the enactment
Of general law making the government
liable for the indemnity to its empioHes
who are injured in the line or duty
Both of these cases have appeaied very
strongly to the sense o. justice as wen
as the sympathy OF every one
Best Books for Boys.
The other day Mr.. A. r. Spoford. the
oracle OF the Library OF Congress was
asked for list OF the hes, books for boys.
and he furnished the following:
Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Mark
Twain's Adventures o. Tom SAWYER
of 4 ~ In a IN