The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-07
SAFETY FOR WORKERS.
Modern industrialism Takes Little
Heed Of the Toiler's Peril.

M0dern undustrtaiism Takes Little
Heed Of the Toilsr's Peril.
Another evil Of modern industrialism
which cries aloud for correction is the
insecurity Of the workers hold upon
existence The bread Of the laborer II
eaten in the peril Of his life. Whether
he works on the sea, ON the earth or
in the mines underneath the earth. the
laborer constantly faces imminent
death. and his peril increases with the
progress Of the age. However sure the
precautions. however perfect the ar
engagements, 1t is Uncomfortable that
the gigantic industrial movements Of
the American people should be con.
Quoted without some fatalities. But
thousands of easily preventable acci-
dents and deaths occur each year, and
it is from these that We strive to Sc
cure relief.
1t II a strong commentary ON our
boasted American civilization that
more men are killed and injured In in
dustry in the United States than in
any other country In the world. By
this I mean that more persons are
killed and injured per 1000 employed.
1t is not my purpose to decry the in
stitutions Of my country, because
believe that with all our failings. with
all our sins Of omission and commits
sion, we have by far the best and
greatest government ever instituted
among men. but I cannot blind my
self to the fact that In the matter Of
providing protection for the life and
safety Of the workman and compen.
sating him for injuries sustained In
the course Of his employment We are
tagging far behind the nations Of the
old world. 1t may be said that this
Is not a parental government and that
the state should not be called upon to
regulate our affairs. and. while I be-
lieve that they are best governed who
are least governed. contend never
theless that it is the proper function
Of a government to throw around the
weakest of its citizens all the safe
guards and all the protection possible.
In the matter Of the health and safe
ty Of the workman society has not yet
learned its full lesson. There was q
lAuO WHICH, tuS NIluAU8l ldw wan y
matter Of private settlement, when Q
man could relieve himself Of RESPONSE
bility for the murder Of his neighbor
by making q blood payment Of SO
much money to the kinsmen Of the
murdered man. Our attitude toward
preventable accidents IL still much the
same. II an employer pays q ludi-
crously inadequate sum to his injured
employee or to the widow Of the work
man who has been killed. society as
sumes that he has performed his full
duty and that his concern in the Incl
dent has ceased. AZ matter of fact,
most large employers relieve them
selves Of financial responsibility for
the death or injury Of their workmen
by q system Of insurance In employ
ers' liability companies. In considers
ton Of the payment Of q small fee for
each person employed these compa-
MES guarantee to defend in the courts
all suits instituted for damages and
to pay to the plaintiffs In such suits
any judgment which may be rendered
against the employer. Because Of this
protection 1t il frequently less expen.
sive to kill or MAIN a workman
than to provide adequate safeguards
against his injury.-John Mitchell In
National Civic Federation Review.