The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-10-17
Keeping Party Pledges.

The employers liability bill, intro
duced last week by Senator Gordon of
Barre, was draGte, after conferences with
both employers OF labor and employees,
and is fair and praiseworthy measure
The last two Republican state eonyen-
tons have pledged the party to this
project, and the pledge still remains I'M
fulfilled. Justice and common sense alike
demand that this promise be kept
With the exception OF a change made
in ls4a, recognizing right of recovery
of damages for death resulting from
injuries, Vermont still deals with indus.
trial problems under the old common law
of England Under this system no one
who b. his negligence had contributed TO
his own injury had any right to remedy
for the neglect Of the other, which had
been a eoncurring cause; no recovery is
permitted against the employers for the
neglect of a fellow servant engaged in a
common employment the employer as
sumes no part of the ordinary or extra
ordinary risks of the employment which
the employee knows or ought to have
known.
So many states have adopted a more
humane policy that Justice Moody of
the United States supreme court, refer
ring to these common law rules, declared
that "they have so generally been modi-
fed that il may well be doubted if they
exist in their integrity in any jurisdic-
ton The defense OF fellow servant rule
has been abrogated by general law or in
particular industries by Arkansas, Colo
RADIO, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana. Nebraska
Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota
Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and
Wisconsin Ii has been modified with
out being abrogated in California, Mis-
sissippi, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina,
Utah and Virginia.
in order to discourage litigation, to
create a better feeling between employer
and employe, and to do justice to all
concerned, some legislation along these
lines should be enacted by this legis-
lature. Vermont should not lay behind
the other states III the matter Of fair
ness The Republican party should not
permit itself to be placed in the humlh-
ating position OF failing to keep its
promises. Both Governors prouty and
Mead advocate legislation along these
lines. OF course the details need to be
worked ont with care, but Vermont
ought no longer to fail to recognize the
general principle involved, so obviously
just.
1t viii be shown, when the measure
comes up for consideration, that the
Gordon bin does not, as claimed by some
persons, lay any new burdens upon the
farmer. 1t is designed 10 meet condi-
tions IN large industrial establishments,
where the risks are considerable.
1t Is worth considering, as an illustra-
ton, that under the law the families of
those employees who were killed a few
months ago in the railroad wreck at Der.
lin, due, perhaps, to the neglect of a
fellow servant, could recover no dam
ages, whereas, If passenger train had
been wrecked, heavy damages could have
been collected This bill is drawn in
tie interests of fairness and justice. 1t
is one of the important measures of the
session, and The Journal earnestly hopes
that bill Of this nature will become a
law before the end Of the session.--Mont-
pelier Journal.