Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-12-29
IS EXPLAINED BY Commission TO
RAILWAY employees
MEMBERS OF LIABILITY LAW
COMMISSION ATTEND UNION
MEETING AT RAILWAY SHOPS
AND EXPLAIN THE LEADING
FEATURES OF PROPOSED NEW
LAW.

TACOMA, Dec. 2S-Members of
the employees liability comr .ssion
last night @ med the bill, which they
have been .airee months drafting at
Governor M. E. Hays request, to
union r-eeting of Northern Pacific
car shol employees at South Tacoma
hall. The detail of the measure We're
not entered into, as the text of tho
law has not yet been made public,
but the general principles underlying
its provisions were fully discussed.
The meeting was presided over by
w. A. Ashton "a representative OF
the Machinists' union. Paul K. Page
of Buckley, chairman of the commits
sion. made an introductory talk. He
was followed by Clarence Parker of
Tacoma, who was well known to the
South TacOmans. Mr.. Parker spoke
OF the broad economic and social
principles on which the commission
had founded it's bill
In the beginning of it's work in
September, he said, the members OF
the commission who were employers
had agreed that no workman would
voluntarily do himself injury, and the
emplOye members of the commission
on the other hand had agreed that
no employer would seek to injure
his workmen. With these two axio-
matte principles accepted he contin-
ued, the members of the commission
had unanimously accepted the theory
that in such case with society as
whole demanding certain industries
hazardous to life and limb, that the
consumers OF those goods should
bear the expense of recOmpensing
for injuries. However, Mr.. Parker,
went on to say, the commission did
not feel that any class of industries
should be so severely taxed for this
purpose as to put them out of busi-
ness or to wor!' them an injury, for
it is realized that they are compet-
ing with similar industries in other
states. But, he added, the commits
sion did hold to the principle that no
company should be allowed to do bus
mess that could not afford to pay
for the damages it had caused its
workmen.
Attorney Outlines Provisions
Govnor Teats, the Tacoma attor-
ney who has assisted the commits
sion in the capacity of an expert on
the subject of liability and compen-
sation, outlined the main provisions
of the law and contrasted its prOba-
BILE workings with present conditions.
He recounted many incidents of
death and serious injury in which
the victim had been able to recover
nothing because of the fellow work.
man." assumed risk" or other court
created doctrines. TO the argument
that some workmen have advanced
payment in case of death is too small
a sum, he replied that it was $4,000
more than workmen are now being
paid He told of the large percent
age of cases of injury in which the
workman finds himself with no case
at all in court and of how, in other
cases, he finds the employers cold
and distant. This. he pointed out,
probably came about through no fault
of the employer, for the latter was
generally insured in a casualty COM
pany, and one clause of his policy
forbade him in case of accident or
death to treat with or settle with
the injured parties, but obliged him
to leave all in the hands of the in
surance company. The employers OF
the state, he said, as well as the en-
ployes, were tired of such an unhu-
manitarian system and favored the
bill as drafted.
During it's first years operation, he
said, the bill was designed to raise
the S1,5OO,OOO for the fund out OF
which damages shall be paid. The
damages will be paid directly and
without lawsuits or red tape to the
injured parties.
Mr.. Teats predicted that the casu-
atty companies would put up strong
fight in the legislature to defeat the
bill and said he understood they were
already organized for that purpose.
TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
Mrs. Robinson, wife of j. j. Robin
son, the painter, is very i'll and was
taken to a local hospital this morn
ing, and if necessary, will undergo an