The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-09-08

was net passed. Since then the COM
paniSs In fault have SYSTEMATICALLY an
nounesd that they have done away with
the Objectionable conditions. hope so;
but whether they have or not q law
shovld Be passed in stringent form to pre-
vsnt aay possible backsiiding.
50 II " In the matter OF injuries to em-
plsyess. In What Is called employers
liability" legislation other industrial coun-
tries have accspted the principle that the
industry must bear the monetary burden
Of its human sacrifices, and that the en-
ployes who Is injured shall have a nxed
and dshnite sum. The United States still
proceeds on An outworn and curiousiy inn
proper principle, in accordance with which
II has too often been held by the courts
that the frightful burden OF the accident
shall be borne in its entirety by the very
person least able to bear II. Fortunately,
in a number OF stRtes-in Wisconsin and
in New York, for instance-these defects
in our Industrial life are either being
remedied OF else are being made a subject
Of intelligent study with q view TO their
remedy. In New York q bill smbodying
moderate compensation for accidents has
already been passed. Other states will
undoubtedly follow In the same path. The
Federal government has, 30 far A. Its
own employees are concerned, been the
FIRST to recognize and put into shape this
principle. However, this pioneer law was
not made comprehensive enough; 1t eoes
net cover all the employees OF the Fed
ersl government that ought to come with
in It's provisions. and the amount paid TOR
permanent disability or death 10 entirely
inadequate. Nevertheless, It wal . great
step in advance TO nAvs this principle OF
worktnGmen's c~empensation accepted and
embodied in the Federal statutes, and the
recent action Of congress in providing FOR
a commission to study and report upon
the subject gives promise that the same
principle will soon be applied 10 private
FIRMS that come within the Jurisdiction OF
the Federal government.
Federation Planks Approved.
Women and children should, beyond
all question, be protected; and in their
cases there can be no 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
merciallsm. On my recent trip In the
neighborhood OF Scranton and wilkes
barre every one I spoke to agreed rs to
the immense Improvement that had been
wrought by the effective enforcement OF
the laws prohibiting children under the
age OF fourteen years from working, ana
prohibiting women from working more
iitA Wi lAobl n O S'ANNA N
ten hours too long; but, be this as 1t may,
ten hours a dsv was a great advance.
Among the planks in the platform OF
the American Federation Of Labor there
are some to which I very strongly sub
scribe. They are:
I. Free schools: free textbooks; ana
compulsory education.
2 A work-day of not more than eight
hours.
8. Release from employment one day in
seven.
4. The abolition OF the sweat-shop sys-
tenn.
5. Sanitary inspection Of factory, work
shop, mine, and home.
G. Liability Of employers for injury to
body or loss OF life.
q regard the demand in this form as in
adequate. What we need Is en- automati-
cslly hvsd compensation for all injuries
received by the employees in the course OF
hts duty. this being Infinitely better for
the employee and more just to the en-
ple%er. Tho only sufferers will be law
yers Of that undesirable Glass which exists
chiefly by carrying on lawsuits OF this
nstvre)
T. The passage and enforcement OF rigid
anti-chiId labor laws which will cover
every portion Of this country.
g. Suitable and plentiful Fairgrounds
for children IN all the cities.
Inasmuch rs 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. Al 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-sized war. Most
of these casualties are preventable: and
our Legislative policy should be shaped
accordingly. II would be a good idea
to establish IN every city a museum Of
safety devices, from which the workers
could get drawings Of them and informa-
ton as 70 how they could be obtained and
used.
The matter Of compensation for in
juries 10 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 well 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 q meas
urs Of justice in itself, and would do
away with a fruitful source OF antagon-
ism between employer and employed.
Our IDEAL should % a rate Of wages
sufficiently high to enable workmen to
i've In q msnner conformsble TO American
ideals and standards, to educate their
children, and to provide for sickness and
old age: the abolition Of child labor:
safety device legislation to prevent in
eustrisl accidents; and automatic COM
pensstion for losses caused by these in
dustral accidents.