The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-20
MANUFACTURERS UNDER FIRE AT
 BEEFSTEAK DINNER
Engineering Expert Says They Counten.
 ance Industrial Massacre.
Half Million Workmeu Lose Lives and Limbs Every Year, and Half of These Accidents are PrevenlabIe Fund for Defense, Bnt None for Succoring Victims

Dr. William H Tolman, represent Ing the Museum of Sanitation asd safety with headquarters in New York city. took to task a large gathering of local manufacturers attending the regular meeting of their association at the University club last evening. by hurting at them an array of facts and figures dealing with the preventable accidents to employees throughout the United States.
 He charged the manufacturers with standing by idly while an industrial massacre involving the lives or limbs Of half million toilers progresses all over the country. While the working man has the right he said to demand care when he Is injured. under the present scheme If he Is maimed. or when he grows old. there is no out look for him but the poorhouse or the grave.
 Dr. Tolman drew a number of strik- ing comparisons between foreign coun- tries and the United States. showing how the former provided for incapa- cftated employees in striking compari- son to the latter.
 Dr. Tolman's address followed a beef steak dinner at the University club served in connection with the regular monthly meeting of the as- sociation. The Prevention of Ac- cidents, or a Safer America" was the subject of his talk He pointed out that if manufacturers were to expend for safety devices some of the money they invest in insurance against loss through damage actions they would guard effectively against a great DOT tion of the losses now sustained He also dwelt on the need of better sani- tation.
 Engineers. he asserted. consider fully one-half of the accidents of the pres ent day preventable- There are 6O0.OoO such accidents he continued by which workmen are incapacitated or killed every year. Taking $500 as a mini mum average wage. this means s25O.- 000. 900 annually lost through accidents. and cne-half of this follows the fall ure of manufacturers to avail them selves of the safeguards not within their reach
 Progressing in his statistics the speaker pointed out that SO per cent. of the costs of maintenance of the courts of New York city was directly chargeable to- the cases growing out of negligence or accident cases. Then had paid S25. 900 900 last year for in surance. 1t was really a fund to light against damage suits rather than a means of remunerating the victims
 Drawing a comparison between Ger many and the United States. he show ed that German manufacturers are banded together for mutual sharing or the responsibility of accidents. There the manufacturers strive ito prevent accidents by equipping themselves with the latest safety devices. know ing that every accident VIII be search ingly investigated by their association with a view to finding the responsi- bility for negligence or failure to pro- vide safeguards. The German work man has no cause to live in constant dread of being penniless because of some unforeseen accident depriving him of his usefulness. for when such an event arises. he is automatically as 1t were. provided with funds. The German manufacturers go further than the American. for they have a fund not only for wear and tear on ma chinery. but wear and tear on the laborer as well Then the German government provides museums for the display of the latest and best inven- tions.
 It is in such work as th's that the Museum of Safety and Sanitation is interested, and through its efforts the New York Legislature at its last ses- sion passed an act ordering an inquiry into these European methods The speaker ip closing expressed confidence that American manufacturers were on the threshold of meeting with this problem on a different plane. and that the formation of the museum he rep resented was an indication of the gen. eral trend.