The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-04-10
Employers LA.
BILITY Law PASSED
LabOrS Request Granted By
House of Representatives
Law on C0ntributory Negligence
Is Relaxed Under Present
Provisions.

Washington, April 6.-With only
one vote recorded against it, that of
Mr.. Littlefield of Maine the House of
Representatives to-day under susppn-
sion of the rules passed the Sterling
employers liability bill, after forty
minutes debate.
In brief, the bill establishes the doc
trine that the railroad Companies en-
gagged in interstate commerce are IL
able for personal injuries received by
employees in the service of such car
riers. 1t abolishes the strict common
law rule of liability which bars a re-
covery for the personal injury or
death of an employee occasioned by
the negligence of a fellow servant.
1t also relaxes the common law rules
which make contributory negligence a
defense to claims for such injuries. 4
provision, however, diminishes the
amount of the recovery in the same
degree that the negligence of the in
jured ons contributed to the injury.
The bill further makes each party
respensibl for his own negligence. and
requires each to bear burden there
of.
The bill as passed by the House was
transmitted to the Senate later in the
day, and on motion of Senate Dolliver
was laid on the table subject to being
called up at any time.
Mr.. Dolliver explained that the bill
is quite similar to the measure report
ed to the Senate from the Committee
on Education and Labor. Mr.. Dolliver
at an early date will probably move to
substitute the Senate measure for the
House bill
The House bill is much more sweep
ing than the Senate bill, as it applies
to all common carriers" while the
Senate bill applies only to common
carriers by railroad"
In the debate minority leader Will
Jams said he welcomed the opportun-
ity to illustrate to the country how
quickly and how rapidly we can join
in passing remedial legislation. The
Democrats applauded the statement.
Continuing, Mr.. Williams said the
Democrats would be glad to be fur
nished with more like it, "and to re-
peat the illustration as such remedial
bill is furnished to the House. It
was" he said, "the first encourage
ment in some time
Mr.. Payne denounced the Democrats,
led by Mr.. Williams for delaying by
half an hour the passage of the bill
by forcing a roll call on the approval
of the journal.
THE gentleman from Mississippi"
he said, Seems to think he will make
the country believe that the
way to facilitate legislation is
by the useless demand for roll
calls and delay in performing
the functions of the House and
passing the supply bills that must be
passed.
He declared that Mr.. Williams had
no more to do with the bringing about
of the report from the committee or
the consideration of the measure than
the boys on the street.
1t has been,. he said the settled
purpose of the majority to bring the
bill before Congress. Mr.. Payne feared
the bill would meet the same fate with
the Supreme Court as did the former
law, but he said he would vote for it,
nevertheless as he had voted for the
previous bill.
And" he added, I'VE will go on
with the legislation of this country,
and the majority will decide in their
own time and without any let or
hindrance from the gentleman from
Mississippi and the voting trust which
it is reported he organized last Satur-
day to stop legislation"
The Republicans would go on just
the same, he said, and write in the
statute books just what they desire
to write. The bill passed by a viva
voce vote but in order that menu
bers might be recorded the yeas and
nays were ordered.