Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-01-07

| carried to such a degree in some OF
the towns that the situation appears
to/be hopeless unless the state shall
insist that some strong central au-
thority have direction OF the licensing
of teachers ana of their remunera-
ton. There should be state law re-
quiring every new teacher who is EN- e.
ployed after a fixed early date to pass
an examination set by Il state exam
ming board. This is the practice IN
those states having the best school
systems.
All OF our high schools and element
4 airy schools are likewise il need, of the
guidance and supervision of central
authority. The lack Of it has led to a
variance of standards thai should not
obtain. A small. compact community
such as Connecticut is. ought to have
q school system that should be a model
Of its kind Instead. it is asserted by
| educators who have given the subject
I much study that there is not a COM
| monweaEh with less legal provision
| for supervision and less conformity to
any fixed standard than Connecticut
You can do the state no greater ser
vice than by devoting your interi-
gent efforts to IL betterment of our
public schools. and ] ask that you
give your earnest atteriiOu to the re-
port of tie special commission on this
subject.
Care of the Blind.
one Of the educational institutions
| of the state which ] commend to your
! favorable and sympathetic considera-
ton is the Connecticut School for the
! Blind. 1t long since outgrew its in
/ adequate school buildings. where at
| one time as many as eight children
We're obliged to sleep crowded togeth
! er in one room. and it's increasing
numbers imperatively demand larger
{ g.,
! accomplishment of its benevolent de-
| signs. Under these circumstances
/ L am disposed to recommend such an
/ appropriation as. supplemented by
/ gifts already made to the school VIII
! enable it to fairly meet and discharge
| its educational and Industrial under
tallings.
Employers Liability.
There has been for several years
an urgent, and ever more pressing de-
I mand. from the workingmen Of this
and other states, for a substantial re-
/ form of the laws relating to the LA
/ bility of an employer for injuries re-
ceived by his employees in the cotE
/ Of their employment When such
/ demand is supported. as it is in this
instance, by the agreement Of econo-
1nists. process:Cra teachers OF Ian.
and the judges of the courts which
apply the law that the present state
of the law works grave injustice to
class least able to bear it. II ought
to receive the most careful and earn
est attention of The law making body.
Mr. Ilabatt. the most recent AmerI-
can writer on the Law of the employ
ers' liability. says in his preface:
| This subject may, without eNaggera-
ton. be said to ~5njoy the uuenvia0le
distinction Of having been the occa-
sion Of a larger number Of conflicting
doctrines and inconsistent decisions
than any other branch Of the law"
THE true doctrine OF tais subject IN
dOubtedly is that accidents to work
men are the inevitable incident OF
manufacturing and railroad opera
! tons: they are A part Of the cost Of
the business; the operation Of a great
factory every year wears out ana
breaks a certain number OF machines:
the repair or replacement Of such
machines is a part Of the operating
cost which the manager must figure
into the cost Of the product. But the
business also invariably, year by yeGr.
mutilates and kills q certain number
Of men, why should not that also be
borne by the business. and so by So
ciety in the cost OF the product? The
injured WOr5iugman must Of neccssi-
y bear the pain, Disagreement and
other personal damage Of the injury:
its money cost should not be also he
ca st upon him.
But as practical men we may recog-
riza that = complete doing Of justice
il not nov Dractieablc The great-ob=
lection is that manufacturers of a par
ticular state would be handicapped in
competition if they were exposed to
burdens that theic rivals in other
states did not bear; and thar such
composition would render it impossible
for them to charge the additional cost
OF labor accidents into the price Of
manufactured article.
There is however. one reform in this
field OF law that in my judgment is
the least measure Of justice that ought
to be considered. and that ought to be
enacted into law without delay; that
is the abolition Of the so-called "fei-
low servant rule By this rule, an
employer If not liable to an employee For
an injury caused by the negligence Of
another employe. The law makes a
man liable for damage by the negli-
gent act Of a servant in the course Of
his employment. except in the single
case when the injured man is also an
employee Of the same master. This
doctrine was first laid down about
seventy years ago. when factories were
small and when all the servants Of a
master knew each other and worked in
close contact. It was argued that this !
rule would lead the men to watch each !
others conduct. and 50 tend to pre-
vent accidents. This argument. how !
ever just it may have been then. is /
grotesquely absurd as applied to the !
conditions or twentieth century man
ufacturing or railroading. When the /
conductor Of railroad train. who has /;
received from the telegra pher q written /,
orGc~ 10 run his train TO a certain sta /
ton which order results in a collision [
and an injury TO bin. is told that he /.
cannot recover compensa ton for his I
injury because the teiepgra pher was |
fellow servant with him Ga decision /
which has been repeatedly made in the /
American courts). he is likely to have /
besides the main Of his injury a rank |
ling sense of injustice.
The subject is particularly pressed /
upon the attention of the Connecticut |
legislature by the protests which our /
own courts have made against the fell |
low-servant rule. While they have felt /
obliged TO apply it as the existing law. |
l earnestly recommend the passage |
Of an act abolishing the fellow-servant |
rule.
Trade Combinatio u.s.
Combinations of capital and combi- |
nations of labor are today subjects Of /
vast Importance and interest to the |
masses Of our citizens. There seems |
to be little doubt that the time is rap /
idly approaching when the test to be
applied to combinations of capital win /
relate not to the question as to vheth- /
er there is combination. but wheth-
er that combination. in its opera ton,
actually results in bringing about an
unreasonable restraint of trade and /
thus inhicts injury on the people.
The same latitude should pervade
the laws relating to combinations of !