The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-09-08

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endure unless the rank ana ale i've up
to their duties. and search for such
leadership. and support 1t when they
find It.
. The stay at home man IN union is
Just as much responsible for the sins
Of omission and commission OF his or
ganization as the stay at home man in
q city is for the civic conditions under
which he suffers and about which he
complains.
Improve Standard Of Living.
All that can properly be done should
be done by all Of us to help upward the
standard Of living and to improve the
ability Of the average man to reach that
standard There are still in the United
States great masses Of skilled and IN
organized labor whose conditions Of
work and living are harsh and pitiable.
It is a shocking indictment Of our in
dustrial condition to be told in mat
ter of course way in government re-
port that thousands Of men in this
country are compelled to toll every day
In the week, without one day Of rest, for
a wage Of $45 month. Such condi-
uon is bad for them and in the end bad
for all of us. Our commercial develop
ment should be heartily encouraged,
but it must not be allowed to CONNER
cialize our morals. 3r
This opens vitality important field
80 Ia <@ &ho
ment and to the state alike. II is
humiliating to think how far we of
this country are behind most Of the
other countries in such matters. Prac-
ucally all civilized countries have for
more than decade prohibited by the
strictest regulations the poisonous
match industry, yet we had not done
anything at all until very recently to
protect the laborers against this hor
nble danger. The national govern
ment made an investigation year ago
into this industry, which showed a
condition of things unspeakably shock
ing and revolving.
Legislation to prevent these abuses
was introduced In congress which was
not passed. Since then the companies
In fault have ostentatiously announced
that they have cone away with the
conditions. I hope so;
but, whether they have or not, a law
should be passed in stringent form to
prevent any possible backsliding.
"Employsr< Liability"
So it is in the matter Of injuries to
employees. In what is called employ
ers' liability legislation other indus
trial countries have accepted the prin-
ctple that the industry must bear the
burden Of it's human sacri-
fees and that the employee who is in
5ured shall have a fixed and definite
sum.
The United States still proceeds on
an outworn and cur1ously improper
principle, in accordance with which It
has too often been held by the courts
that the frightful burden of the acct
dent shall be borne in its entirety by
the very person least able to bear it.
Fortunately, in a number Of states
In Wisconsin and in New York, for
1nstance-these defects In our indus
hial life are either being remedied or
else are being made subject Of in
telligent study with view to their
remedy. In New York bill embody
ing moderate compensation for acct
dents has already been passed. Other
states viii undoubtedly follow In the
same path. we.
The federal government has, so far
as its own employees are concerned,
been the first to recognize and put
into shape this principle. However,
this pioneer law was not made COM
prehensipe enough; it does not cover
all the employees Of the federal gov
eminent that ought to come within its
provisions, and the amount paid for
permanent disability or death Is en-
trely inadequate IN. ~.
Nevertheless it was a great step In
advance to have this principle Of work
ingmen's compensation accepted and
embodied in the federal statutes, and
the recent action Of congress in pro-
viding for commission to study and
report upon the subject gives promise
that the same principle will soon be
applied to private firms that come
within the jurisdiction Of the federal
government.
Project Women and Children.
Veaan. and children should beyond
all question be protected, and in their
cases there can be no question that the
states should act They should be par
t1cular objects Of our solicitude, and
they should be guarded In an elective
fashion against the demands o( Q TOO
greedy commercialism.
On my recent trip in the neighbor-
hood Of Scranton and WilkesbarTe
every one spoke to agreed as to the
immense Improvement that had been
wrought by the effective endorsement
Of the laws prohibiting children under
the age Of fourteen years from work
ing and prohibiting women from work
ing more than ten hours a day Per-
sonally, think ten hours too long; but,
be this as 1t may, ten hours day was
great advance
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