Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-08
gIaa tTfB PRESIDENTS klEESSJ3lAlGGEE; 7@CglGRlRY =
Merit System of Promotions
for Army Is Advocated.
General Staff and General
Reorganization Of Navy Is
Urged as imperative Meas
ure.
MORE GREAT BATTLESHIPS.
Parcels Posts, Postal Savings
Banks, Employers Liability,
and General Secret Service
Among Matters Endorsed.
People Generally Should
Learn to Shoot.

People Generally Should
Learn to Shoot.
found themselves obliged to adopt.
Our present system, or rather no sys-
tenn. works dreadful wrong. and 10 OF
benefit to only one class Of people-the
what he needs is not an expensive and
doubtful lawsuit. but the certainty of re-
lief through immediate administrative ac-
ton.
The number of accidents which result
In the death or Gripping Of wageworkers.
in the Union at large. is simply appalling:
in very few years 1t runs up a total Iar
In excess Of the aggregate OF the dead
academic theory about freedom Of con-
tract or constitutional liberty to con-
tract" should be permitted to interfere
with this and similar movements. Prog
limitation and regulation Of contract.
call your especial attention to the bu1.
ietin OF the bureau OF labor. which gives
a statement OF the methods Of treating
the unemployed In European countries. az
this Is q subject which in Germany. for In
stance. is treated in connection with max
ing provision for worn-out and crippled
workmen.
Law Needed Now.
Pending a thoroughgoing investigation
and action there is certain legislation
which should be enacted at once. The law
passed at the last session Of Congress
granting compensation to certain classes
of employees OF the government should be
extended to include all employees Of the
government and should be made more
liberal in its terms
There is no good ground for the dis
tinction made in the law between those
engaged in a hazardous occupation and
those not SO engaged. II a man il in
jured or killed in any line Of work II was
hazardous in his case. Whether 1 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 compensation.
1t is grim logic which says to an IA
Jured employe or to the dependents Of one
killed that he or they are entitled 70 no
compensation because very few people
other than he have been injured or killed
in that occupation.
Perhaps one of the most striking omis.
sions in the law is that it does not EN-.
brace peace officers and others whose
lives may be sacrificed In enforcing the
laws of the United States.
The terms of the act providing compen-
sation should be made more liberal than
in the present act. A years cOmpensa-
ton is not adequate for a wage-earner's
family in the event Of his death by acct
dent in the course Of his employment.
And in the event Of death occurring. say.
ten or eleven months after the accident,
the family would only receive COM
pensation the equivalent of one or two
months earnings.
In this respect the generosity Of the
United States toward its employees COM
pares most unfavorably with that OF
every country in Europe-even the poor.
est
When Employe Is to Blame.
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 employe. 1t is inevitable
that daily familiarity with danger will
lead men to Ake chances that can be
construed into negligence. So well IL this
recognized that in practically all conn
tries in the civilized world. except the
United States. only a great degree Of neg
ligence acts as bar to securing compen-
satioE.
Probably in no other respect is our leg
islation both state and national. so far
behind practically the entire civilized
world as in the matter Of liability and
compensation for accidents in industry.
1t Is humiliating that at European inter-
national congresses on accidents the
United States should be singled out as
the most belated among the nations in re-
spect to employers liability legislation
This government is itself a. large en-
ployer of labor. and in its dealings with
it's employees it should set standard in
this country which would place 1t on
par with the most progressive countries
in Europe.
The laws Of the United States in this
respect and the laws Of European coun-
tries 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 thers-a con-
trast not in any sense to our credit.
The Congress should without further de-
lay pass a model employers liability law
for the District Of Columbia. The en-
ployers' liability act recently declared un-
constitutional. on account of apparently
including in its provisions employees en-
gagged in intrastate commerce as well as
those engaged In interstate commerce. has
been held by the local courts to be still
in effect in SO far as its provisions apply
to the District Of Columbia.
There should be no ambiguity on this
point If there is any doubt on the sub
ject the law should be.re-snacted with
special reference to the District Of Coluyn-
bia. This act. however applies only to
employees OF common carriers. In all
other occupations the liability law Of the
District Ia the old common law The Sc
verify and injustice of the common law
in this matter has been in some degree
or another modified in the majority or 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 comprehensive
employers liability law should be passed
for the District of Columbia.
renew my recommendation made in .
previous message that half-holidays be
granted during summer to all wage-work-
ers in government employ.
I also renew my recommendation that
the principle of the eight-hour day
should as rapidly and as far AZ practical
bic be extended to the entire work being
carried on by the government: the pres
ent law should be amended to embrace
contracts on those public works which
the present wording Of the act seems %
exclude.