The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-20
REPUBLICAN CLUB
HEARS MITCHELL
Labor Leader Asks Support
for Labor Law.
TAKES EXAMPLE FROM ABROAD
Says other Countries Protect Toll
ers I'm Old Age and Accident, and
road Official Takes Issue on
Grounds Conditions Here Differ.

New York. Feb 19.-The Republican Club
has interested itself In the subject Of leg
islation for the protection Of working
men from accident and old age. and it
had John Mitchell for its guest of honor
this afternoon at a luncheon where the
topic was thrashed out.
The labor leader was the most Vehe-
ment In advocating immediate and dras-
tic legislation to recompense employees
that have been injured in performance OF
duty and to provide means for employees
who have grown too old 20 work. Most
of the speakers agreed wholly or partly
with MIR. Mitchell and there was only
one. w. @. Wilson, claim agent OF the
Lackawanna Railroad. who took a fat
footed stand against the advisability OF
the State interfering in the matter, which
no believed should be left to employers
for solution.
where Law Protects Lives.
Mr.. Mitchell contended that the United
States is far behind European countries
in furnishing just protection 10 workers.
That. in itself. he said, had been re-
grettable to any patriotic American. He
pointed out what Germany and England
have done in placing protective laws on
their statute books, and quoted statistics
to show that many thousands of lives
are lost annually where IL is impossible
to fix the responsibility. That. Mr.
Mitchell believed, was the cruX OF the
whole business, An employee who is IN
jured should not be required TO show
that the responsibility for his injury lay
with the employer, he contended, since
70 per cent of injured employees came 10
accident in circumstances where there
was no chance TO put the responsibility
on the shoulders OF the employers.
State Senator ]. W. Wainwright told
the club members that the commissioners
have been at work learning Just what
has been done abroad. He gave Bismarck
the credit for frst securing a workmen's
protective law in Germany. said that
Joseph Chamberlain was the pioneer in
England. and that Theodore Roosevelt
was the first I'm this country TO bring
the matter squarely to the attention OF
the people
Other Side of Question.
Claim Agent Wilson, Of the .Lacka-
wanna, who spoke from the employers
standpoint said;
1T does not follow at all that because
laws Of this nature have worked sue
cessfully abroad that similar laws viii
be successful in the United States. There
are so many factors that must be taken
into consideration. It would, in my opin-
ion, be extremely unjust OF the State
10 force a law on US before we have
a chance TO work out the problem our
selves and that we are trying very hard
TO do
He believed that a relief fund con-
tributed to by both employers and en-
ployes. and which could be used 20 satisfy
the claims Of injured or the claims Of
the dependents Of employees. that lose
their lives. would be the most prac-
ticable way out OF the difficulty
John Mitchell thought that all employees
would be willing to take 30 per cent Of
their regular wages as a compromising
pension for grave injuries.
The greatest moral character that this
country has known since Lincoln's death,
Theodore Roosevelt, has said that the
present state of things Is ubiquitous. d"
said Mr.. Mitchell, land that is sufficient
for me even If had not made an &C
curate study OF the situation