The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-08-31
COMPENSATION FOR INJURY
IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE

A news item in the papers Of Jul.
y told Of the efforts Of the Italian so
Getty in New York to obtain relief il
congress for Allesandro Comba, fore
man who was MANNED when working Of
the Panama canal, which we're unsuc
oessful, and the Ellis island autloritie
had ordered him deported on July .
Comba went to Panama from New
York eighteen months ago and got worI
as a Iaborer but soon became fore
man, re was injured severely BY fall
ing under dirt car His legs wer'
crushed and both Of them bad to be am
! putated. comba was brought 70 thu
States and, being an alien. was taker
to the Ellis island hospital. He re
manned there several months, but wher
congress adjourned a bill appropriatinl
$4,000 for his relief was lost in The
rush for adjournment, and then Ii,
Immigrant authorities decided they
could keep him no longer Comba has
wife and four children in his native
land.
The above item appeared in an ineon'
spicuous corner on the second page Of
prominent metropolitan daily, which
gave prominent space and headlines to
divorces and various matrimonial trou-
bles, prize fights and ring politics, but
thorough perusal of the paper in ques-
tion failed 70 reveal such tragedy as
the one set forth above.
For years the American Federation Of
Labor has knocked on the doors OF our
National legislation halls for a compen-
sation act in vain, and day in and day
out We are confronted with cases sim.
liar to the one noted above, where not
only foreigners. bat citizens OF this
country are MANNED. crippled and killed
while doing work Of our government,
the MANNED and crippled being cast
upon the industrial scrap heap and those
dependent upon them many times being
forced to become public charges
through a short-sighted public policy
which fails to provide for those Of
our citizens engaged in peaceful work
for the up-building Of our country.
In the naval and military branches
Of the government ample provision is
made for the manned and killed while
engaged in actual service, and this is
as it should be, even if their sworn du.
ty be to destroy life and property.
Can the legislators who were in suen
a hurry to get away from sneir duties
in Washington and get back home to
fix up their political fences read that
news item without a qualm Of thir
conscienees or with a sense Or duty per-
formedf Can they honestly say If It
were Mr.. Capitalist from taeir district
or some Of his family who had met with
this misfortune, that. they would not
have given more consideration to the
merits Of the case than they did in the
case of this poor and unknown for
eignerg7
Imagine, if you can, the feelings Of
Mr. Comba when the immigration com
missioner informed him that the great
and rich and powerful government that
had taken his means of earning live
lihood from him and those dependent
upon him could do nothing for MIN but
send him back to his loved ones brok-
en- in spirit and MANNED in body, there
TO exc out miserable existence as best
he could until death should bring him
relief from hell on earth.
What mind can imagine or pen de-
scribe the thoughts that flashed through
his mind when told that instead Of be-
ing in position to bring to the land
Of opportunity those whom he loved and
lived for, that he must return to them
4 physical bankrupt.
And the worst feature Of this MAIN.
ing and killing Is that thousands Of our
citizens have experienced these same
feelsings that were felt by Comba when
the truth was brought home to them,
ind small wonder indeed that they fail
10 join heartily in singing the Nation
Il anthem or to believe they are liy-
ing in the land Of equal opportunity
when they view the results Of industri-
Il butehery as permitted and praeticed
81 the one employer that should set an
Example for all who believe in ,placing
nan and his dependents above the dol
ar and business, join hands and elect
representatives to our National legis-
allure that viii not only enact legisla-
ion that viii not only place every
Known safeguard around the worker
while he is employed, either BY the gov
'rnment Or a private employer, but win |
make ample provision for him and those |
dependent upon him in case of injury /
n DEATH. NJ. J., Garment Workers
Journal.