New-York tribune., 1910-01-19
FOR UNIFORM LAWS
SENATOR ROOT HEARD
Suggests a Ne1C COurt-Em-
ployers' Liability Discussed.


ures marked the sessions of the Civic FED
Grafton to-day-the unexpected speech OF
| Senator Root and the deep interest dis
| played by leaders in the labor world and
| the representatives of those who hire labor
| In proposals to compensate employees for
| injuries received
Senator Root, who was not on the pro-
gramme, astonished the conference when
he suggested the creation of commits
sioner's court to draft uniform laws. in con-
formity with suggestions made in the con-
ference Of the Civic Federation.
IF a proposition IS one of sound merit"
said the Senator. lit will win its way into
the minds of the people. Some of the
things advocated by this body have al
ready taken their place in the serious and
favorable consideration of the nation.
1T is apparent that there is a wide field
of governmental activity which belongs TO
the United States and which does not fall
within the power of the National Civic Fed
eration But there is great variety of
most important legislation affecting not only
the individual state but great number OF
SISTER states, and We are looking for greater
ehciency In lawmaking and enforcement of
The propositions which are before U.S.
In the discussion of compensation for ac-
cidents Samuel Gompers. John Hays Ham
ihoho, John Mitchell, August Belmont and
George NJ. Gillett took part
Mr.. Gompers declared the European mine
owner had better idea of the care of his
employees and the operation of his plant
tnan the American mine owner. He laid 1t
down as hard and fast rule that the in
dustry in which man was employed
should bear the burden OF that mans in
juries sustained in the course of his work
Stafc tIa
backward of all countries in protecting
these who by accident were deprived OF
| their earning capacity. and he insisted that
the life and limb of the employe should be
OF as much concern TO the employer as the
! product of the employees hand.
Jonn Mitchell, vice-president of the Civic
Federation, followed in much the same
strain.
John Hays Hammond said that the num-
| Der or fatal accidents in mines could pc
reduced more than 50 per cent by raising
| the standards of safety. He startled his
hearers by saying that there we're mined
In the United States in 1903 about five hun
dred million tons OF coal at a cost of 2,4Je
| human lives
August Belmont of New York, declared
that labor will be attracted TO the states
affording it the fairest and safest protec-
/
| as an advantage to himself
He advocated the passage by the states
OF laws compelling corporations to make
| adequate and definite provision for the
| health, safety and ultimate care of its en-
ployes when injured or incapacitated In
| his opinion this was the greatest question
| of the day.
| I'm it lies not only the solution of a
| great and unjust burden on labor" he said
but an escape from the dangers of over
| burdening our national government with
| duties ii could never perform
Mr.. Wainwright, member of the Com
| mittee on Labor of the New York Senate,
| pledged himself 10 report some kind OF
| bill for compensation for accidents, which
was received with rounds of applause. in
| which Mr.. Gempers and Mr.. Mitchell joined
| enthusiastically.
Ex-senator John +. Dryden, president
| of the Prudential Insurance Company said
| that if the various states failed to codify
| their insurance laws uniformly the only
alternative would be the federal control Of
the business He said in part:
| The immense amount OF new legislation
| and the enactment of new laws annually
| or bennialiy by the different legislative
| bodies is naturally the cause OF much un-
| certainty as to what the law which gov
erns the business really is.
! "
| Gated by retal1atory laws. which have re-
| suited in conditfon properly described as
| interstate warfare. unworthy of the civili-
| cation of the present day.
| 7 am firmly convinced that uniform
| code governing the essentials of the law
| on the subject of insurance can be framed.
and the past experience OF every life in
| surance company transacting business in
| the different states makes it desirable and
| proper that such code should be pre-
| pared. Failing in this. the only ultimate
alternative viii be the supervision and
lean insurance companies by the federal
! government.
| Isaac n. Seligman, of New York char
man of the finance committee of the Ma
| tional Child Labor Committee, made an
urgent plea for uniform state laws rcgu-
lating child labor. In part he said:
| system of uniform laws, carefully
| codifed. so that there could be no misun-
Outstanding as to their provisions and as
| remove a considerable percentage of the
diftiS,ulty noM s IT. experienced by employers,
| in relation TO this entire matter
We recommend the establishment of
fourteen years as the minimum age limit
| that age we contend that no child should
| be regarded as having any economic value
! Let us hasten to say, however. that we do
| not regard the mere fact Of having become
| fourteen years of age a sufficient warrant
for for remoSing protection from fhildren. In
/ also have attained certain stage Of phys-
! ical development, roughly indicated where
| moro complete scientific tests are not
| available. by height OF sixty inches and
| weight of eighty pounds. They must
| further have had sufficient educational on
| pcrtunity to enable them to answer rea-
! Sonable tests of mental deveIODment
| equivalent to the normal DEVELOPMENT ac-
| quired by children in the first eight years
| of the public school. We maintain that
| nc child under sixteen years old should be
| employed in any occupation at night or
| should be employed longer than an eight
| hour day or forty-eight-hour week
The morning session of the convention
was devoted to papers on banking laws.
Those who spoke were Pierre jay OF the
! National Association of Supervisors Of
State Banks; Lewis E. Pierson, president
| of the American Bankers Association. John
c. Richberg, chairman OF the committee
on corporations of commissioners on mi
form state laws; j. f. STREET. president Of
the American Association of Public Ac
countants; Edward r. A. SeIigman. chair
man of the department of taxation of tho
Civic Federation; Charles T. Terry. genera I
counsel of the American Automobile Asso-
citation. and j. Horace MacFarland prssi-
dent OF the American Civic Association.
Resolutions were adopted by the conyen-
ton favoring the recommendations of the
commissioners on uniform laws, and CALI