The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-01-03

increase of 2,613 over the number
which occurred in 1905, in which
year the railroads of this country
furnished more accidents than all
the casualties on both sides during
the three years of the Boer war.
The total number of accidents in
the United States of all kinds, chief
ly industrial, in a single year exceeds
half a million.
Now, seeing that a large proport-
ion Of the deaths and injuries is due
directly to the risks incurred by
workmen employed in our in
dustries, and that as matters now
stand the law affords little or no
perfection to the workman, who in
the majority of cases must endure
the results of idjury without com :
pensation, it can be seen what a
vast injustice is laid upon our in
'dustrial workers under existing
conditions. It is true that a body
OF attorneys has come into existence
which, in the Presidents words,
exist only by melting men who
may and who may not have been in
the wrong to undertake suits for
negligence; but it is a fact that
such suits usually secure only in
adequate compensation, and often
cause altogether disproportionate
to the employer The President
advocates the passing of a law pro-
viding limited but definite compen-
sation for accidents to all workmen
within the scope of the Federal
power, including employees of navy
yards and arsenals. The law should
be so framed that the payment for
accidents by the employer would be
automatic, instead of being matter
for lawsuits; workmen receiving
certain and definite compensation
for all accidents in industry, ire
spective Of negligence. The spirit
of such legislation would be based
upon the principle that the employ
er is the agent of the public, and
that when he starts any industry,
he does so on his own responsibility
and for his own profit. He sets in
motion agencies which create risks
for others, and he should, therefore
take all the ordinary and extra
ordinary risks Involved; and the
risk he thus at the moment assumes
will ultimately be assumed, as it
ought to be, by the general public.
By the enactment of such law, the
shock of the accident will be diffus-
ed, and will not, as it now does,
fall upon the man or woman who
is least able to bear it. The benefit
would be twofold, since employers
would gain a desirable certainty OF
obligation, and would get rid of the
present necessity of litigation to de-
termine that obligation, while the
workman and his family would be
relieved from the too-often crushing
load of disa Element or death.
1t is fact, unfortunate but un-
deniable, that in legislation design
ed to safeguard the life and limb of
the individual citizens, we generally
are tagging behind the rest of the
industrial world. Since the year
1895 practically every country OF
Europe, together with Great Britain
New Zealand, Australia, British
Columbia, and the Cape of GOOD
Hope, has enacted legislation em.
bodying the principle that upon the
employer should be placed the entire
trade risk in the various lines of in.
dustry. Considerations of human
ity and of national prestige should
lead Congress to take early ano
effective action to bring our practice
at least up to the standard establish
ed by the rest of the world.
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