Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-12-08
PRESIDENT
MESSAGE
tcontlnea from rage on

ponsa; on bccaufe very Few . ,pl
ether than he have been injured OF
ri led in shat occupation. lrerla
mo OF ;he most striking ON aslons
the law is that i, do not en-
Grace peace officers ana other
shose lives may be Cacr need II cn.
,Orc ne tAe laws OF the United
tatcs The trms Of the act pro
iiing compensation should be mad.
more Mberul than IN the presen
act. \ years compensation Is not
| adequate for wage-earn RS FAM
| ly in the event of his death by &C
dent II the course of III employ
ment And in the event OF aUh
occurring, say ten or eleven months
after the accident, the family would
only receive as compensate on tn
equivalent OF one or two months
| earnings. In this respect the gene
rosity OF the United States to-
wards its employees compares mos
country n Europe-eYen the poor
est.
The terms OF the act are also a
hardsh in prohibiting payment IN
way due to the negligence OF the
employee. 1T is inevitable tihW
daily familiarity with danger Will
iead men % take chanc that can
10 construed into diligence. Sc
well $ this recognized that in prac-
ideally al countries in the civiliz.
cd world, except the United Stat S,
only a great degree Of negligence
acts as a ba ~ SO al ng compensa-
lion. Probably in no other re
spect is our legislation, both STATE
and National, so far behind prac.
tlcally Sh entire civilized world
in the matter of liability and com
pensation for. accidents in Industry
The Congress should
without delay pass = model EN-.
ployers' liability law for the Dis
| trict or Columbia.
renew my Recommendation
made IL a previous message that
half-hoEdays be granted during
summer to all wase-worlcrs in
| Government employ
| l also renew M recommends
tion that the principle of the eight
| Il
Tar as practicable be extended to
the entire work being carried on
by the Government The present
law should be amended to embrace
contracts on those publ'c works
which the present wording of she
act seems to exclude
THE COURTS.
most earnestly urge upon the
Congress he duty of increasing the
totally inadequate salaries now
given to our Judges. On she whole
there is no body of public servants
who do as valuable work, nor
whose moneyed reward is so made
quate compared to their work. Be
filming with dhe Supreme Court
the judges should have their sal
ares doubled. =
Here follows several thousand
words dealing with .njuncuions,
tabor disputes and the action of
labor leaders and their demands
made during the recent campaign.
The message follows the well
known lines OF argument as made
by the president during Jhe cam
palgn.
Other recommendations are the
preservation of our forests and the
conservation of our natural re
sources, the Improvement of our
inland waterways, all national
parks 20 be transferred to the for
estry bureau, the extension OF the
civil seryic' TO the Indian agen-
cies; repeal OF late law restrict
ing the secret service; the eatab-
Dshment OF postal savings banks;
a parcels post system on all rural
routes
On the subject of The education
he president recommends a larger
appropriation for the use of the
national educational bureau.
On the subject of the census n.
| says.
CENSUS.
1 strongly urge that .bc rcqdog.
! or the Director OF the Census ir
connection with the dccannial work
20 soon to be begun, be compiled
and THAT the appointments to- the
census force be- placed under the
own service law waving che geo
graphical rcqu romcnt5 as requ ST.
ed by tho Director of he Csusl
The sup'rvi5ors and enumerators
should not be appointed under sho
civil service law. for the reasons
given by the Director comm nd
70 the Congress Tho careful con