The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-05-22

UNJUST TO EMPLOYER
AND TO THE EMPLOYEE
Society Shares Fruits Of Danger
GUS Occupations and Should
: Share Consequences.

Just what the value Of a working.
man is has been asceertained by Miss
Crystal Eastman in her book on
;'Work Accidents to be published
by the Russell Sage Foundation, New
York and used by the American As
sociation for Labor Legislation In its
fight against the present inadequate
employers liability law. E. 5s
According to. Miss Eastman, the
value OF workingman, based on II!
Industrial accidents in 81 Pittsburg.
measured by the standard of dollars
and cents, reaches the following fig
ures: .~1. ~: @E5.- ~ 49,
Loss of an eye from nothing to 5000.
Loss Of an arm from nothing to $780,
Loss of a finger from nothing to
$100. Loss Of a leg, from nothing to
$685. ~. ~ }Ss11
ceptional occurrence. Out of the 27s
cases mentioned II received no in-i
'c:-,nity whatever, while some re-
ceived as little as $48. s.
Out Of the 526 workers killed in Al
legnany county during one year, 25s.5
almost one-half, were married men
regularly supporting their families.
and three were women contributing
TO: the support Of others. The other
- were single men OF all ages, from
thirteen ITO sixtyfive. 8 per cent OF
whom were the sole support Of fam
lily, 10 per cent were the chief support
and 43 per. cent regular contributors.
Thus, while 10 per cent of all the
deaths left no private economic prob
lem to be faced, considerably over
half of them meant the sudden cut
ting off OF the chief support Of q
family. : - a. I'll :
Wages and Risk. s
Just how far the wages OF work.
ingnnan will 80 to- cover up the risk
Of an Industrial accident is explained
in q table based on 40 cases, which
shows that is per cent earned a.
weekly wage Of less than SO; 16 per
cent less than, $1l.99: 20 per cent less
than $14.9s;; IS per Gent less than $19-
3d.; 10 per cent less than $2O.99, and
per cent over $780, 1855
lover half Of these men (52 per
cent? were earning less than SIS a
week. says Miss Eastman. That
much income, 81 a day for seven
day week, is necessary, according to
a recent careful study, to maintain
meager standard of food. Clothing
and shelter in the Pittsburg district,
for a typical family OF five On SIS
a week it is possible, at the sacrifice
Of all recreations, to carry small
insurance at ordinary rates But these
/ roNo oF IN, %Ho IL
! greatest risk Their occupation, which
makes insurance especially necessary
to them, also makes insurance excep-
tionally high. j. .f.,.t 5s,Ssa ss33
I'm fifty-five families the industrial
accident widow went to work to sup
port her family within the year after
her man was killed. The work Is
usually, cleaning offices, taking in
washing, keeping boarders, starting q
little store. clerking. or working in a
factory. The widow takes anything
that comes quick and easy It almost
invariably means hard work, long
hours, poor pay, and IN most cases,
children neglected. It is the bitter
unrewarding struggle Of one person
trying to do the work Of two. So
! ~. Liability Law 4 Farce.
The liability law is nothing but q
farce. Out Of 355 fatal accident cases,
II suits are pending and 8. settlements
of over $4,000 were made. Assuming
that the plaintiff Will win Of the
! II SUITS we havoc out OF 355 industrial
1 accidents in which q family wage
Garner was killed, II for which the
law secured the right Of compensation
| to the defendants. Those who settle
are fortunate. II the case, comes TO
trial, the litigation often lasts from
three to five years. II damages are
recovered, they amount, in the case Of
death Of q married man, to about
4 $4,000, 40 per cent of which usually
goes to the attorney. The law then
secures restitution Of about $4,000 to
6 per cent Of the widows and children
OF workfngmen killed, and they have
to wait five years to get it..
=5 .s@ & s35 Tho scapeaoat.
It is not fair that the burden uf the
risk and the painful consequences of
industrial accidents should fall On the
victim. Miss Eastman continues:
"a special cloud always threatens
4 the home Of the worker In dangerous
Il trades, because his daily work In
4 wolves physical risk to him, and on
his life and strength depend the com
7 fort and happiness OF his family.
What Is his work then :? Who chose
Il for him? IS It any concern OF so
ciety' First OF all, to be sure, It is
Il his, way Of making q living. hut Sec
Il end. Il is necessary to his employers
8 way of making q a.living, and finally
q i is necessary to society.s way of
making 9 living. IN other words. the
5l wage earners work is not actually 4
q matter &c his own free choice; hove
ever individually managed and con-
Il trollcd. however competit itively bar
gained for, his work is q part Of .
1 great co-operatiYe undertaking rs in
4 which society as g Whole shares and
q by which st prof S :s.s s