New-York tribune., 1910-09-06

TO risk his life and limb, OF be deprived os
his beaftn or have 70 WORK under dan
eteroJs and bad surroundings. Society Owss
the worker this because II owes a. mucl 10
itself RI q should not be compelled % maks
this a matter Of contract; he ought not to
be left to fight alone for decent conditions
in this respect. His protection IN the place
where he works should DC guaranteed 5g
should be protected during his working
hours against greed and caTeIessness on ths
mart Of tinscrupulOus and thOughtiess en-
pIovers Just as outside or those working
hours both he and MS employer are pro-
tected in their lives and property against
This opens a vitality important field OF
legislation to the national government and
10 the state alike. II is hurntlating 70
think now far We OF TINS country are De-
hind most Of the other countries IN suCl
matters. Practically all civilized countries
nave for more tttan a decade prOhibitef
by the strictest regulations the poisonous
match industTJf; yet we had not done any
thing at all until very recently 70 protect
the laborers against this horrible danger.
The national government made an invests
CATION d year ago into this industry. which
showed a condition Of things unspeakablY
shocking and revolving Legislation 20 pre-
vent these abuses was introduced in Con-
greSs. which was not passed Since then
the companies in fault have OstentatiousIy
announced that they have done awsr with
the Objectionable conditions. I hope 50. but
whether they have or not, a law should bs
passed in stringent form 70 prevent any
possible backsliding-
"EmpIoyers' Liability" Discussed.
So it is in the matter Of injuries to en-
ployes. IN what IS called employer : Ia
D1uty legislation other industrial countries
have accepted the principle tnat Ths in
duSrTy must bear the monetary burden OF
its human sacrifices and that the snpioye
who is injured shall have a fixed and det-
mite sum The United states sun proceeds
on an Outworn and curiously improper prIn-
Ciple. in accordance with which IL has too
often been held by the courts that the
frlghtful burden OF the accident shall %
borne in It's entirety by the very person
number of/states-in Wisconsin and IN New
York for insJance-these defects IN our IN
duStT1al lie are either being reTnedlsd q Or
else are being made q subject OF intelligent
study with view 70 their remedy In New
York a bill embodying moderate compenss-
ton for accidents has already oeen passed
Other states viii undoubtedly follow n the
same path The fsaeTal government mas,
so far as its own employees are concerned.
been the arst to reCCzniZe and pat INFO
shape this principle. However. this pioneer
law was not made cOInprehenslFe enough.
il does not cover all the eInployes OF Ins
federal government that ought 20 come
within its provisions. and the amount pad
for permanent disability or death is en-
11rely fnzdeouate- NevertheIesS, Il was Z
great step in advance TO have this pr1nc1-
pie of workingmen's compensation accepted
and embodied in the federal statutes. ard
the recent action Of Congress N provldlns
for commission 10 study and report upon
the subject gives promise thai the sans
prInciple VIII soon oe applled 70 priNdl2
frnas that come within the jurisdiction ct
the federal government
Women and children should, beyond a.
question. be protected and IN their cases
there can be no question that The govern
nlent should act They should be par
ticuiar objects Of our solIcitude ana they
should be guarded in an effective fashion
AGAINST the demands OF 4 too greedy COM
merciali lisn on nv recent trip II Tte
reighborhood of Scranton and Wilkes
Barre every one 7 spoke 10 agreed as 70
the immense Improvement that had been
wrought by the effective enforcement OF
The laws prohibiting children under the
age Of fourteen years from working and
prohibiting women from working more
than ten hours q day. Personally, I think
ten hours 100 long. but. be this as II may
ten hours day was a great advance