The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-04-15
|CRAWFIShING CITY FATHERS
House of Representatives Decides Council Meets and Organizes for
to Travel Backwards the Year
BILL TO ASSIST LABOR SOME CHANGES MADE
After Trying Pass Enactment Mayor Appoints Peter Robischon
House Decides in Favor of City Clerk and Council Fails to
Commission Plan Confirm Him
FIGHT ON TONNAGE TAXlCOOPFR STILL HOLDS
New uins BY Lieut. Ebha Council Meet Again Friday Night
BILL TO ASSIST LABOR
After Trying to Pass an Enactment,
House Decides in Favor of
Commission Plan
FIGHT ON TONNAGE TAX
New Ruling by Lieut.. Gov. Eberhart
is Likely to Prevent Passage
-,
of The Bill
Especial to The Herald)'

Especial to The HeralO
ST. PAUL, April 14-After extended
controversy and repeated attempts to
frame an employers liability bill or
workmen's compensation act accepta-
BILE both to employers and employees
the legislature has been obliged to fall
back upon the plan which emanated
from joint meeting of the represen-
tatives of capital and labor. This
plan involved the appointment OF a
commission to investigate the whole
subject and report by bill to the legis-
lature in 1911. Measures to carry out
this program have passed the house
and are now under consideration in
the senate.
There probably would have been no
great objection to this plan in the
first place had the proposition not
been submitted to the legislature by
the governor in special message. 1t
was thought by republican leaders
that if they could at this session pass
a workingmen's compensation act that
would prove acceptable to both capital
and labor, instead of deferring the re-
form for two years as advised by the
governor, the glory would all be theirs
and the governor could claim no share
of the credit. So they. set to work
with that end in view. The task,
however, was surrounded with too
many difficulties, and the bill involv-
ed, failing to meet with the approval
of either capital or labor, was reject
by the house. 1t must be admitted
that the bill went but a small way to-
wards providing adequate compensa-
tion for injuries received by workmen
or making the necessary risks of
hazardous occupation charge upon
their industry, which are the objects
sought to be accomplished by such a
law. The legislature was, therefore,
Obliged to fall back upon the commits
sion plan if it adopted any plan at all.
Although no general law looking to-
wards affording workmen protection
for injuries received in a hazardous
occupa tion will be passed at this ses-
sion some measure of protection will
be afforded them if a bill reported to
the house for passage becomes law.
This bill effects railroads only, and
makes it unlawful for them to use
locomotives not equipped with the
appliance for operating the trainbrake
system, or to make up trains in which
Is per cent of the cars are not equip
ped with power brakes. Every loco
motive, tender and car must also be
provided with draw bars of standard
height. The bill then goes on to en-
act that any employe killed or injured
on any train not equipped with the
devices referred to shall not be deem
ed to have assumed the risk incident
to the use of such locomotives or cars,
nor shall he be held to have contribut-
ed to the injury received.
While railroads generally are very
much alive to their own interests,
and this year, as usual, maintain a
lobby to look after them, one very inn
portant measure to which they now,
when it is too late, interpose serious
objection, has been allowed to slip
through. This is bill introduced by
Mr.. Bicknell which provides that
when railroads fail to adopt rates
prescribed either by statute or by the
railroad commission it shall be the
duty of the attorney general to COM
mence proceedings to enforce them,
and during the pendency of such pro-
ceedings it shall be the duty of the
railroads to keep correct account of
every charge made by it for any SER
vice to which such rates apply in ex-
cess of the rates so prescribed, show
ing in each case the difference be-
tween the amount actually charged
and the, amount allowed to be charg-
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