The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-06-19
matte training to some practical end
poverty and crime.
Another Phase of Question.

matte training to some practical end.
poverty and crime.
Another Phase Of Question.
Another phase of the question pre-
sents itself in the contemplation OF
the hosts of school children for whom
books and their lessons have no at
traction, and who have no natural in
cl1nation or capacity for high mental
development, but all Of whom have
the capability Of acquiring a practical
knowledge of mechanics or handicraft.
and many of them decided gifts in this
direction. For these mere academic
education can do little or nothing. but
industrial training could do much; and
the schools they are obliged to attend
in the formative period of their lives
should provide it. thus preparing them
for self support and useful citizen
ship in later years.
These facts and the reflections they
beget are of Importance to members
of organized labor, for they point out
two hitherto almost unutilized classes
out of which its ranks can be profit
ably recruited, it's resources vastly in
creased and its aggressive and defen-
s1ve forces greatly augmented in per-
petual succession. Just what form
our Industrial education should take.
what guidance and government 1t
should have, and what restrictions
should be placed around it, this is
neither the time nor the place to de-
termine- 1t is sufficient for the pres
ent occasion and for me to point out
the need, leaving to other circum-
Of providing for it. If, in it's wisdom,
this convention should see fit to make
any deltverance on the subject, it's &C
ton could not but be Of advantage in
promoting the general veal
Compensation for Injuries.
Advanced as we are in this age of
progress and enlightenment, and in
our belief in the equality Of mankind,
we are far from having reached an
ideal position, in respect to justice
between man and man. It. IL a. Ia
mehtahle fact thata we have not yet
been able to eliminate from statutory
enactments and Judicial %proceedings,
or wholly from the public sentiment
the idea that there is a sort Of serf-
dom in the condition Of those who
work for others at an established rate
of recompense. Although organized
labor has striven honestly and earn
estly for many years to remove this
idea from the public mind, it has been
only partially successful. The en-
ployers of labor hold on to it with
unyielding tenacity, and having the
public ear in potential ways, they keep
it alive in the general conception Of
the relation of the employee to his
employer.
For this reason, perhaps, as much
as for any other, all efforts on the
part of toilers to remove the arbi-
trary and unreasonable restrictions on
the liability of employers for injuries
sustained by their employees in the
work they perform have been frus-
trated.
The old defenses Of the British COM
mon law, which have come down from
fuedal times, such as negligence, di-
rect and contributory, the fellow-ser-
wants rule and the assumption by the
work men Of the risk, pertaining TO
his occupation, are still successfully
invoked in all our courts in the en-
ployers behalf when some hapless
workman loses limb or life in doing
the work that has been assigned to
him. !
Better In Minnesota. =
But in Minnesota at least, it seems
clear that a better understanding and
adjustment Of this matter Is not far
before us. For the first time in hu-
man history, so far as I know, during
tives of the employing and the work
ing classes in this state met together
in full. free and fair conference on
this subject and came to- a harmon
ious and unanimous conclusion con-
corning what was the best thing to do
toward removing prevailing hardships
and existing evils in this connection,
All the features Of the situation were
considered. The difficulty of provfd-
ing legislative remedies that would
be equitable to all the injuries involv-
ed' and yet avoid driving from the
state capital invested in Industrial
production by placing upon it burdens
heaVler than it could bear and greater
than those imposed in adjoining states
was fully canvassed. 1t was then de-
term1ned that, in view Of all the facts
IN the case, the wisest course to pur-
sue would be to have a commission
created with ample power to make q
thorough investigation of the subject,
and prepare for submission to the
next legislature of the state bill to
meet the requirements. The plan in
cluded also provisioned for accurate
ana detailed reports of accidents re-
sult1ng In injuries to workmen, In or
der that a proper classification Of
them might be made as basis for
the proposed legislation. 49,. a. ~
Inese suggestions were laid before
the Legislature during the last session.
and that body generously made the
necessary legal provisions for carry
ing them into effect. The commits
sion Of inquiry has been appointed
and its line Of action seems to be
clearly understood. The law it will
ask the next legislature to pass viii
eliminate the element of negligence.
abrogate fellow servant rule and
require that each. of the Industries
bear the risk appertaini2g to it's op-
Grafton. These are the provisions the
commission viii seek to have estab-
lished by law in addition t,n arranr-
ing for proper measure of compensa-
ton Tor each class OF injuries ana & q
met hflia -.