The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-01-18
CONFERENCE ON
AT WASHINGTON.
Uniform Legislation Object
Of Gathering.
SETH LOW MAKES SPEECH
President of Organization Tells of the
Benefits to Be Derived by Common
Action by All States and Cites Sew.
sraI Specific Things He Hopes to See
Accomplished at Present Meeting.

sraI Specific Things He Hopes to See
Accomplished at Present Meeting.
Washington, Jan. 1S.-The national
conference on uniform Legislation
opened here with an address by it's
president, Seth Low. The sessions
are to continue over three days. DR..
Low said in part: 49,. '~' .
Uniform legislation" said President
Low, sis equivalent in legislation to
standardization in mechanical con-
struction. Formerly there were broad
gauge railroads and railroads with a
narrower gauge. Broad gauge rail.
roads and narrow gauge railroads
could not connect. At last the gauge
of all railroads was standardized, that
is to say, made uniform, and now the
cars of every railroad can be used on
the tracks of every other railroad and
no one would think of going back to
the old system. The broad gauge as
a mechanical proposition has some ad-
vantages over the narrower gauge;
but these were wholly insignificant
compared with the advantages result
ing from Standardization. Differences
in gauge did not make railroading i'm
possible, but they made it inconven-
lent, costly and slow. Similarly diff.
ferences in laws relating to the COM
mon life of the people do not make
business impossible; but they do ham
per business relations by causing in.
convenience, expense and delay"
"There are some subjects" he said,
like uniform bills of lading, in which
the people of all the states are in
terested and all in the same way.
There is no reason why a statute regu-
lating bills of lading which is good in
one state should not be coon for all
A statute on this subject which is the
same in all the states is better for
everybody than an ideally more per.
feet statute that should differ in i'm.
portant particulars in many states.
Common Action Is Essential.
"There are other subjects in which
groups of states have such pre-
dominant interest that common action
by the states of this group is all that
is essential. Such subject is the pro-
posed change in the theory of the laws
of negligence, which would substitute
Workingmen's compensation for EN-.
ployers' liability. 1t is not without i'm.
portance to all the states; but it is
of vital Importance to the group of in
dustrial states. Uniform legislation
on this subject by the industrial group
would probably make it possible for
those states to adopt the more mod
ern system safely, while single state,
moving alone, might incur grave dan.
ger to it's industries in acting by itself.
1T is hoped that the conference will
see it's way clear to do several specific
things.
"First-To urge upon the states and
territories which have not already ap-
pointed commissioners on uniform leg.
islation that they forthwith appoint
such commissioners.
"Second-To urge upon all the states
which have made no appropriation for
the conduct of the work of these COM
missioners to make a suitable appro-
priation which will enable the work to
be carried forward
"Third-To refer to suitable commit
tees the drafting of laws on such sub
jects as the conference may determine,
IN suitable form to be passed by all
the states, such drafts to be submitted
to the national conference of commits
sioners on reform laws for such action
a. they may see fit to take"