The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-01-18
GOVERNORS Of
THIRTY STATES
ARE ASSEMBLED
Will Discuss Many Problems
of Both State and National
Interest
PLAN WAS InAUGURkTEO BY
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT IN 1908
Governor Wilson Declared No Better
Means Could Have Been Found of
Devising Uniform and Improved
State Legislation Than Conference

State Legislation Than Conference
Washington, Jan. 1S.-Governors
from thirty states of the union met
today in the national capitol to dis
cuss problems of state and national
interest. Governor Wilson of Ken
tucky, chairman of the committee on
arrangements for the conference, was
in the cheir. In a brief Introductory
speech he referred to the first confer
ence of the state heads, invited in
May, 1908, by President Roosevelt to
meet in the white house. Governor
Wilson declared that in his opinion
no better means of devising improved
and uniform state legislation could
have been found than for the chief
executives Of the states to come to-
gether as they had and In friendly
way, with partisan feeling forgotten,
talk over together the questions in
which they all were interested.
The resolutions adopted recommend
to the governors that efficient and
uniform legislation should be adopt
ed to suppress and prevent the pro-
curement of women for immoral pur-
poses, known generally under the
name of white slave traffic and that
the commissioners OIL uniform state
| laws be requested to draft bill
| which will carry into effect the fore
going recommendation.
Another recommendation in the
resolutions was that national food and
drugs act, which law has been adept
ed in all substantial provisions by up
wards of twenty-siX states, be adopt
ed by the legislatures of all states
which have not already SO acted.
1t we're unwise to think Of absolute
i uniformity of legislation throughout
!, the United States, in the opinion of
Alton b. Parker as expressed today In
an address before the convention.
I'VE do not aim at absolute uni
formity of law, but wise and con-
servative uniformity" said Judge Par
ker. There is danger in pressing
uniformity to extreme lengths. There
are diversities of climate, of produce
tion, of tradition of heredity, Of popu-
lation. of pursuits among the people
of our several commonwealth which
should be generally respected.
uniformity should be promoted
along the lines marked out by the
commissioners on uniform laws, and
as much farther as the diversities to
which l have referred will reasonably
permit.
"A movement has recently been in
augurated to make each industry bear
the burden of accident to employees,
without regard to the question of
| negligence, upon the ground that
such burden is properly part of the
cost of the product. 1t has been ac-
cepted as founded on sound business
principles. and put in operation by
some employers already who recog-
nize that otherwise great unfairness
often results in casting upon the em-
ployee and his family the entire bur-
den of accident. Legislation in Eng
land and Germany thus provides for
the compensation to be paid to in
jured employees. The English statute
provides for compensation during dis
ability, equal to fifty percent of the
wage rate, and in case. of death or
total disability, sum equal to four
years wages. Surely this country
ought not to lag behind those en-
lightened nations in righting what is
now the most monstrous injustice of
the age. Nevertheless that is likely to
happen unless there is uniform legis
lation in many, if not all, the states
on the subject. For in the absence Of
general movement for uniform leg
islation, New Jersey. for instance.
would hesitate to place her contrac-
tors at disadvantage in competing
with New York contractors.
Prom this convention now assem-
bled representing. not one or many,
but all the civic interests of each and
all Of the states, there should go out
an authoritative expression in favor
of uniform legislation in SO far as
1t is conducive to the common veal.
Let us strive to promote unity in d.
versity-unity in all that touches in
like manner the internal affairs of the
communities separated by state lines
diversity in those particulars which
are peculiar to each commonwealth"
Judge Parker thus closed his ad-
dress after having reviewed in de-
tail the complicated relations between
state and national governments. In
this respect he said:
''Latterly complaints have arisen of
inefficiency resulting from the divis-
ion of powers between the federal and
the state governments. 1t is said, de-
pending 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 and their Of
ficers, while in others the tendency is
to presume them guilty of desire to
violate all law, written or unwrit-
ten.
THE public complaint for the pres
cnt is more generally that the states
have been lax in the enforcement of