The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-01-18
GOVERNORS
IN SESSION

day to discuss problems of the states
and of the nation. Governor Wilson,
Of Kentucky, who presided, said in
his address that no better means of
devising and improving uniform
state legislation could be found, than
for governors to come together and
WITH partisan feeling forgotten, talk
over the questions in which all are
interested.
J. Horace Mcfarland. president of
the American civic Federation, made
a plea for state Legislation to pro-
mote the public control of privately
owned forests before the conference
on uniform state legislation today. He
said. in part:
Using every day three times as
much as we grow and wasting As
much as We grow, We can see the end
of wood in he United States. Four
hfths of the timber standing in the
United States is privately owned and
all is beng cut destructively. The re-
naming fifth is in government pos
session and if il wer ecut down clean,
there would only be enough left to
last the United States ten years at
the present rate of consumption. All
the power to preserve these forests
rests with the sovereign states: 1t is
for this reason hat uniform legisla-
ton for public and privately owned
forests is imperative.
Washington. Jan. lit were un-
wise TO think of absolute uniformity
If legislation throughout tae United
states. in the opinion of Alton b. Par
ke- as expressed today in an address
IrFAr. tn. T,,r.YtE,, I~.,ff,r,.
state Laws.
w do not aim at absolute unifor
mitv of law, but a wise and c~onServa
tive uniformity" said Judge Parker.
There is danger in pressing unifor-
nifty ID extreme leLgths. There are
diversities o: climate, of production,
of tradition, of heredIty. of popula-
ticn of pursuits among the people OF
oar several commonwealth wIich
should be generally respected.
! Uniformity should be promoted
along the lines marked out by the
Commissioners ON Uniform laws, and
rs much further as the diversities to
which have referred viii reasonably
| permit.
a movement has recently been IN
~auguratcd to make each Industry
bear the burden of accident To EN-
ployes. without regard TO the question
of negligence, upon the ground that
such burden is properly a part of the
cost of the product. 1t has been ac
cepted as founded on sound business
principles. and put in operation by
sorle employers already who recog
lize that otherwise great nhfairaess
often results in casting pon the EN-
ployee and his family tle entire bur
den of accident. Legislation in Eng
land and Germany mus provides for
the compensation to be paid to injur-
ed employees. The English statute
provides for compensation during dis
ability, equal to fifty per cent of the
wage rate, and in case of death or to-
tai disability. a sum equal to four
years wages. Surely his country
ought not to lag behind those enlight-
ened nations in righIing wlat is now
the most monstrous injustice of the
age. Nevertheless that is likely TO
happea unless there be uniform legis-
lation in many. if not ali, the states
o. the subject. For in the absence of
a general movement for uniform leg
islation. Now Jersey, for instance.
Il HOttiO H't~lldAt 10 EitCt DtI Cpiili az
tors at a disadvantage in competing
with New York contractors.
From this convention now assemb-
led representing. not n or many, but
all the civic interests of each and all
of the states, there should go out on
authoritative expression in favor OF
uniform legislation in so far as it is
conductive to the ommoa veal. Let
us strive to promote unity in diversi-
ty-unity in all hat touches in like
manner the internal affairs of the
communities separated by state lines
diversity in those particulars which
are particular to each common
wealth."
Judge Parker thus closed his ad-
dress after having reviewed in detail
the complicated relations W.
state and national governments. IN
this respect he said:
"Latterly complaints have arisen
of i~nefiiciency resulting from h di-
vision of powers between the Federal
and State governments. 1t is said,
depending upon the point of view,
that some states grant charters which
are far too broad, while others go to
the opposite extreme. That in some
states the law has not been enforced
against disobedient corporations N
their officers, while in Others the ten
dency is to presume them guilty of
a desire to violate all law, written or
unwrittel.
The public complaint for he pres
ent is more generally hat the states
have been lax in the enforcement of
law. with most disastrous consequence
es. The charge of neglect must be ad
mitted by all Who appreciate that ev-
| cry one Of the corporations now strug
| Cling for life was created in the face