The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-02-10
BY ellison Gardner.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 10
There Is something more in this
problem of the dependent children
than merely caring for the chill
dren," said Judge Ben B. Lindsey
of the Denver juvenile court, after
the White House conference.
There is the problem of stopping
the needless manufacture of Or
phans.
Judge Lindsey had just come
from a conference with President
Roosevelt which had been followed
by luncheon with the family. He
was full of his talk with the presi-
dent and the plans for a national
children's bureau to be establish
ed at Washington Congress will
ing).
at is important to care for Or
phans," continued Judge Lindsey,
but it is equally important to stop
the killing of the parents of these
orphans. The state is responsible
in a measure for the care of de-
pendent children; but the state
ought to feel its responsibility in
larger measure for the prevention
of needless killings and maimings
in our Industrial activities.
Take the children left each
year by fathers killed in coal
mines. At conservative estimate
there are of these 1000 children.
1t is estimated that the period of
dependency of these children is II
years. In a single generation there
are, at conservative estimate,
40, 900 children thrown upon the
care of the state or private char
tiles just as a result of coal min
ing accidents. Think of 1t. And
this only in single industry.
But a third of such accidents
could be prevented. This is no
guess. 1t is demonstration. Prop
Fers inspection and regulation, as
conducted in other countries like
Germany, has resulted in decreas-
ing the fatal accidents fully a
third; that is large enough.
'If reasonable precautions
Iproper egislation-could avert a
third of these killings, could pre-
vent the creation of a third of
these orphans and otherwise de-
pendent children-then it is an
awful responsibility assumed by
the state when 1t permits this
slaughter to go on.
"In every industry there Is a
fixed rate of accidental deaths. In
|some that rate could be reduced.
In others the consequences of the
accidental death or injury could
be foreseen and made the subject
of proper compensation. Instead
of lawsuit there ought to be an
automatic process by which the
widow of the killed and the de-
pendent children would secure the
compensation for that death.
Then the burden of the children
would not fall on the state. In
fact, they would not be depend
ent children.
'"The cost of accidents ought to
be borne by the industry where
they occur. It would work no
hardship on the industry. The in
surance fund, properly assessed
against both capital and labor,
becomes like any other item of
that cost diffused, and is eventu-
ally paid for by the persons who
consume the product.
"And that is fair. Why should
the widow of a man working in an
iron foundry bear the burden of
the death of the husband killed
in the line of duty. Assume that
it is an accident which cannot be
avoided. Assume that a certain
number of accidents are inevita-
BILE in the manufacture of every
tone of manufactured iron. Accept
the fact. that so much blood enters
into the price at which it is put
upon the market. Should not the
price include the blood as we'll as
the cost of the wornout shovel?
Should it not include the living of
the babies left by the man who
has laid down his life to make the
iron? Why should society thrust
the burden of the workman's
death upon the shoulders of the
wife and helpless family and de-
mand that they carry it alone?
Are not life and childhood as well
worth paying for as Stag and
boards and the sweat of living