The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-10-22
OREGON LABOR WILL
MAKE LIABILITY LAW
CAMPAIGN HEADL|NER

: ~~A ~~A~~O'
organized labor of Oregon carry it's
proposed employers liability law to
victory at the November election?
This is the question that is being
asked on every hand since it has be-
come general knowledge that the
Employers association is to flood the
mails this month with literature, in
an effort to defeat this just labor
law, and secure the enactment Of
the measure proposed by them to
create a commission to study the
subject Of employers liability.
The law that is proposed by organ
lied labor, will, if passed by the
voters of Oregon, abolish those doc
trines of our courts which laid all
risks of dangerous employment and
negligence of a fellow servant upon
the backs of the now over-taxed wage
Garner and his dependents.
. It will also require the contractor
to put guard rails on scaffolding and
use safe appliances. Those conditions
will stop many of the injuries and
much OF the frightful death toll
among the working people - It 3 >. :
It would require the employer. to-
carry an accident Insurance. to pro-
tect himself against loss by accidents,
the same as he now carries fire in
surance' to protect himself against
fire.
-. Employers Show Fight.
Seemingly he cannot see that So
ciety would then, in this way, pay
the burden of unavoidable accidents
that are now born by the injured and
his family. So the employers are
putting up a fight against the meas
ure.
While the law will affect the large
business and industrial centers cleo
trio lines, railroads and mines, where
the death and injured rate is by far
the greatest, proportionately to the
number of persons engaged, it is un-
derstood that the employers are to
mail large quantities of literature
| into the country districts. The litera-
ture to be of a nature that will appeal
to the prejudices of these people.
The funds of the Oregon Fedora
ton of Labor have been exhausted in
advancing and supporting the law,
y
The federation desires to send out
100000 pieces of literature yet before
election day. This will cost about
$500.
At the Portland Building Trades
council last Monday night the ques-
ton was thoroughly discussed and
the conclusion reached to appeal to
all state unions for 10-cent per
capita tax. -.
The literature is already in print
and will be mailed just as fast as
the money is received.
The Employers association has
made a vicious fight on this liability
law. Two years ago they defeated
the measure in the legislature by so
of their members going to Salem in
a body to wait on the lawmakers.
Last. May, after this association dis
covered that the law was going on
the ballot, by initiative petition, and
only five weeks before the labor law
had to be filed in the office of the
secretary of state, they came forward
with their scheme to have q COM
mission appointed to study the sub
ject of employers liability and pres
ent their report to the next legisla-
ture.. -..5,- '...- =. s.n.
Notwithstanding the fact that New
York and other states have the re-
port of such a commission, the en-
ployers' association proposed their
measure by initiative petition. F
Appeal to Farm Voters. 80
After their measure was filed and a
just ballot title made by the attorney
general, they had misleading title
Illegally substituted. This was set
aside by the Salem courts when suit
was brought through c.. e. S. Wood
by organized labor. TT ~ = s
Now as the last resort, the En-
ployers' association are to appeal TO
the farm voters to defeat a law that
will stop the useless injuring and kill
ing Of men in the dangerous occupa-
tions by careless or neglectful en-
ployers =. '.s,""
The appeal is to be made b,y the
employers, upon the grounds that:
the bosses have the interest or the
workmen at heart, and desire to work
out a just form Of automatic com
pepsation for the injured and bene-s
fits- g for dentss ot a.t hose KILLED. 4