The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-02-07

LIABILITY
LAW PLANNED
Radical Legislation Making
Corporations Pay For
Injuries to Men

most radical pieces of proposed legis-
| lation before the present congress, and
one which heretofore has not occu-
pied much time, is now being given
serious consideration by the judiciary
committee of the house, and a hear
ing on it has been ordered for Feb
ruary II, to which a number of prom
| inent railroad men of the country
have been invited.
1t is the bill introduced by Repre-
sentative SABBATH of Illinois, which will
require all persons carrying on occu-
pations and trades subject to the reg
ulative power of congress- including
railroads, express companies and
! sleeping car companies, to pay COM
pensation on a fixed basis to injured
employees. The legislation, if enacted
would overturn the present employers
| liability law, and, in fact, revolution
| ize the existing system of indemnity
tor personal injuries.
Compensation Defined.
The bill defines the amount OF COM
pensation to be paid by, employers to
employees, in cases of injury or death,
basing it upon the amount of the pre-
and provides that it shall be paid in
the form OF an annuity.
! The bill is based upon the laws of
England and Germany. Such legisla-
ton was favored in one of the mes
sages Of former President Roosevelt
and President Taft also is said to have
commented favorably upon it.
! Representative Moon of Pennsyl-
vania, chairman of the sub commit
tee of the Judiciary committee, an
alyzes the bill in a letter which he
he has sent to officials of leading
railroads. Mr.. Moon says in part
You will observe this bill, both by
! it's title and its scope, aims at the
entire overthrow of the existing prn-
ciples of law respecting the liability
of common carriers engaged in inter
state commerce and in the carrying of
the mails, to their employees for acts
Of negligence resulting in injury or
death
1T eliminates entirely all common
| law or statutory defenses based upon
the principles of contributory or
comparative negligence, the existing
doctrine of negligence of CO. employees
| jects the common carrier to- a fixed
and definite liability for injury or
death to employees without regard to
the negligence Of the defendant.
1T substitutes statutory compensa-
ton for common law liability and
makes this compensation distinct
element of operating expenses.
Bill Being Pushed.
This bill is being vigorously pushed
by its promoters. One hearing al
ready has been had by the sub-com-
mittee. The hearing was confined en-
tirely to the principle involved, not
to details of the bill The hearing
developed the fact that the change
proposed by the bill was so radical
and, if enacted into law, would i'm
pose an obligation upon common car
riers Of the country engaged in inter-
state commerce so different from that
already existing, that the committee
would not be justified in passing upon
it without affording an opportunity
to them to be heard.
I'm pursuance of this action, we
have postponed the hearing until
Thursday, February II, at 1890 a. m,
I
the views of your company upon the
subject
Mr. Moon said that his committee
had been seriously impressed by this
proposed legislation and we are Civ
ing it the most careful consideration"
/ Mr.. SABBATH, author of the bill, has
/ been working on the idea for a num-
/ Der of years and has carried on a
general propaganda in it's favor He
announced at a recent hearing on this
bill that when it WAS enacted into
law, he was ready to retire from pub
lie life. satisfied with his achieve
mentS-
Common Carriers Included
The bill is applicable to railroad and
steamship companies engaged in in
terstate or foreign commerce and to
any company engaged in any capacity
in handling the mails of the United
States. Even the United States would
be bound under its terms to pay COM