The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-11-25
CHEAPER TO KILL,
SAYS MITCHELL
Declares WOrkmen Are Under
Too High Pressure,
GOMPERS ALSO SPEAKS
President of Federation Of Labor
Pleads Before National Civic FEEDER.
alton For a General Liability Law
Saws Burden Of Accidents Should
Not Be Borne by Workmen.

Not Be Borne by Workmen.
New York. Nov 23.-Samuel Comp
ers and John Mitchell. the OIL
GERS of the American Federation oil
Labor. who are awaiting the decision
of the supreme court upon their sen
fences to Jail terms because OF con
tempt of the United States district
court OF Washington. spoke before the
annual meeting OF tho National CIVIC
Federation. held at the Hotel Astor
Their addresses were upon the gen
eral topic OF wage earners' insurance
and employers liability. which hello
discussion during all OF the first SEES
sion of the two days conference
Besides the two labor leaders rep
resentatiye business men from al
parts of the country and abroai de
livered addresses upon the various
phases OF the question set for discus
sion. There were more than hun
dred representatives of the federation
present AT the conference.
Gompers Speaks.
President Gompers spoke on the
topic. should Industry Bear the Bur
den Incident to Industrial Accidcntsg
He spoke briefly and without manu-
script
"The question Of whether industry
should bear the risks OF accidents OF
whether society should bear the bur
den is not so important as that the
burden should not be borne by the
injured workman or his family said
Mr.. Gompers. People speak OF the
burdens upon the employer as II the
employer paid out OF his own pocket
liabilities arising from accidents As o
matter Of fact. he figures in the cost on
such accidents when he is making Out
bids for his contract or fixing the
price OF his products. just as he in
cludes the cost Of the raw materials
the machinery and the expense OF op
Grating his plant"
The speaker continued 10 state the
difficulty of framing proper Legislation
on the subject of employers liability
because. as he said. however such
legislation may be framed the Consti
tutional lawyers are able 10 find flaws
in It. Who. then, was to bear the bur
dens OF the men who are killed anc
MANNED in factories? he asked. Society
made no provision against such con
tingency. and there were inadequate
laws fixing the responsibility upon the
employers.
Wants Law to Safeguard.
Mr. Mitchell blamed the present day |
tendency toward high pressure IN
manufactures for the prevalence OF
accidents to operatives.
at Is far more important 10 have 2
law that will safeguard workmen from
accidents than TO have one providing |
for their recompense after they have
been hurt" he said. Under the pres |
ent system II appears to be cheaper to |
the employer to kill men than to pro !
tect them. The roster OF men hurt In |
various industries is larger in this |
country than in any other. The very |
circumstances under which the mer
work compels them to be careless. II
they do not work under the very high |
est pressure they are displaced by mer
who will and who are willing TO take
the risks for the wages that are in 1t |
They are not given time to be careful
OF their own safety Under these cir
cumstances no liability law will avail
unless adequate precautions against
the injury of the workmen are first
provided"
In opening the session. Seth Low
president OF the National Civic Feder
alton. called attention TO the fact that
since the panic of two years ago thu
country has been singularly free Of
labor troubles due to an attempt on
the part OF the employers to reduce
wages.