The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-03-04
WHAT WILL
CONGRESSDO
Liability Measure Is Being
Urged By the Leaders of
Organized Labor

WASHINGTON, d. c., March A.
Stripped of all concealment a lobby OF
lawyers in the pay of several of the
largest employing corporations in Amer
lea have appeared before the House
judiciary committee and practically de-
fled congress to pass any employers
liability bill framed to insure workmen
and their familits against injury OF
death.
Representative Sabath's bill, standard
izing the amount of damages due to in.
jured workmen, forced the fight to an
issue General Solicitor Reath, of the
Norfolk and Western railroad; Russel
H. Loines, attorney for the American
and Hawaiian, New York and Porto
Rico steamship lines, and score Of
other notable lawyers could hardly find
words in their legal vocabularies with
which to denounce 'this socialistic at
tempt to destroy the constitutional right
of contract"
The words of Representative SABBATH
in answer to the corporation lawyers
were such as to fix the tens attention
of every listener.
"When it is remembered" said the
Illinois representative 'that we hold our
property in the last instance throuh
the forbearance and self-control of the
vast class of persons who are at risk
day by day, and who, were they united
could rend and tear not only our pos
sessions, but our very bodies, it is sur
prisng to see the dense carelessness of
the possessing community before this
great had almost said class; but there
are no classes in America; at least it is
SO claimed.
cat the time when the law of master
and servant received the form which we
are now contending is utterly unjust, the
industries We're just beginning to re-
ceive the beneficent effect of the appli-
cation of steam to machinery heretofore
driven by human hands. Today all this
is changed"
Gompers a Keen Listener.
BY the side of SABBATH sat Samuel
Gompers, keen listener to every word
that fell from the speakers lips. The
committee room pulsated with the con
centrated antagonism of these great
warning bodies, capital and labor
"The courts will say that the laborer
is free continued SABBATH; "that he
choose his occupation; that if he takes
up dangerous occupation, he takes the
risk-he does it with his eyes open; he
is compensated for it, and his wages in
part may be used, if properly employed
in buying insurance in some industrial
or accident corporation to compensate
him for the risk which he is bound to
take.
as it not truism which must only
be stated to be understood, that the
choice of freedom of the laborers is en-
tirely illusory; that they have no choice;
that the fiction which claims to treat
them as free agents is overcome by the
actualities of their conditions, which
makes wage slaves of them all; that the
wages are so small and purchase SO
little thai adequate self-insurane is i'm
possiblef"
The chairman of the committee, Judge
Richard Wayne Parker, of New Jersey
saw an opportunity, never missed by a
Cannon appointee, and seized it with a
genial smile of general eonciliation.
Chairman Tries to Delay.
"Would it not be in order to defer
further consideration of this bill until
we receive a report from the commission
which is about to procure information
regarding those killed and disabled in
the industrial trades in the United
StatesY I see Mr.. Gompers present; does
he not think this the most practical
method of proceduref"
Several of the committeeman were
prompt in their approval Of the chair
Continued on Page Four.)