The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-09-09

that IN 1fao6ttu1 euFd u S1lio a0cl6en,
shall ~ borne q IL satirsty W The vsry
psrson Lost obs @ o. u 4. Eottunately;
Il Is ss ~ 81 y ssiE ds. esI
| lin ASng ln@pstrf III m lKsr I'm
rdsnsdtSd OF sls 'isilg sp6Jsci
of ainteflt6ent StudS VA q Wv TO tileil
remedy. In New York . bill smbodyinG
moderate compensation for accidents has
already been passed. Other states will
undoubtedly follow In the same path. The
Federal government has. 20 far 10 ita
own employees are concerned, been the
first to recognise and put into shape this
principle. However, this pioneer law waa
not made comprehensive enouSh; 3 1t sdoea
not cover all the employees Of the Fed
eraa government that ought to come with
IN it, provisions. ana the amount paid fol
permanent disabilityfor death . entirely
inadequate. Neverthelels.l It was . kreat
workingmen's compensation accepted and
embodied In the Fe6sraI statutes. and the
recent action Of congress in providing for
commission to study and report upon
the subject gives promise that the same
principle will soon be applied to private
firms that come within the Jurisdiction OF
the Federal government.
Federation Pianks Approved.
Women and children should, beyond
all question. be protected; and in their
cases there can be mo question that the
states should act. They should be par
ticular objects Of our solicitude; and they
should be guarded in an effective fashion
against the demands Of a too greedy COM
mercialism. On my recent trip in the
neighborhood Of Scranton and Wilkes
barre every one spoke to agreed as to
the immense Improvement that had been
wrought by the effective enforcement Of
f1,o Ia v,vok}hftfro rh{1Hrnn Nndor tho
age Of fourteen years from working. and
prohibiting women from working more
than ten hours day. Personally, think
ten hours too long; but, be this as It may,
ten hours day was q great advance. )
Among the planks in the platform Of
the American Federation Of Labor there
are some to which very strongly sub
scribe. They are:
!. Free schools: free textbooks: and
compulsory education.
2. A work-day Of not more than eight
hours. Y
8. Release from employment one day In
seven.
4. The abolition Of the sweat-shop sys-
tenn.
s. Sanitary inspection Of factory. work.
shop. mine. and home.
6. Liability Of employers for injury to
body or loss Of life.
Il regard the demand in this form as In.
adequate. What we need is an automati-
cal1y fived compensation for all injuries
received by the employee in the course Of
his duty. this being infinitely better for
the employee and more Just to the em-
ployer. The only sufferers will be law
yers Of that undesirable class which exists
chiefly by carrying on lawsuits of this
nature)
z. The passage and enforcement of rigid
anti-child labor laws which will cover
every portion Of this country.
8. Suitable and plentiful Fairgrounds
for children in all the cities.
Inasmuch as prevention is always best,
especial attention should be paid to the
prevention Of industrial accidents by pass
ing laws requiring the use Of safety de-
vices. At present the loss Of life and
limb among the industrial workers Of the
United States Is simply appalling, and
every year equals in magnitude the killed
and wounded in a fair-sixed war. Most
Of these casualties are preventable: and
our legislative policy should be shaped
accordingly. It would be good idea
to establish in every city museum of
safety devices, from which the workers
could get drawings Of them and informa-
ton as to how they could be obtained and
used.
The matter Of compensation for in.
juries to employees Is, perhaps, more i'm
mediately vital than any other. The re-
port of the commission which has be-
gun to look into this matter on behalf of
the New York legislature is we'll worth
reading. The bill presented by the Fed
GRAFTON of Labor in Wisconsin on this
subject seems excellent. In all dangerous
trades the employer should be forced to
share the burden Of the accident, so that
the shock may be borne by the commu-
nifty as a whole. This would be meas
ure Of Justice in itself. and would dc
away with fruitful source Of antagon-
ism between employer and employed.
Our ideal should pe rate of wages
sufficiently high to enable workmen to
live in a manner conformable to American
ideals and standards. to educate thei,
children, and to provide for sickness and
old age: the abolition Of child labor;
safety device legislation to prevent in.
dustrial accidents; and automatic com.
pensation for losses caused by these in
dustrial accidents.