The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-08

and employee, but may 1t not be con-
tended that society, as represented by
the state, has a right to stop the con-
troversy in the interest of good order?
This is great departure from the
idea of the common law concerning
the rights of individuals, and it may
seem to be q step in the direction of
socialism; but we have been taking
number of such steps lately, and
there is precedent in favor of the
view; for new principle was enun-
ciated in connection with the bank
guaranty law, to the effect that the
risk of poor banking upon the part of
individuals is a risk that the business
of banking and not the public should
bear. May it not be contended, If the
above is conceded, that the liability of
injuries to employees is a risk that bust
ness ought to bear. and that in the
interest of the public the solution OF
the controversy between the employer
and employe as class must be found
by the state in order to prevent dis
putes, to promote Industrial tranquil
lily and to prevent the wage Garner
from becoming a public charge upon
the state? Foreign countries have al
ready set the example. Such acts are
now in force in twenty-five foreign
states. They do not cover all indus
tries and there is considerable diversity
in their provisions"
Governor Stubs Address.
Governor Stubs in his address of
welcome to the state labor and indus
try convention re1terated his stand in
favor of an employers liability law. He
said that he had tried to get such a
law passed by the last legislature, but
had failed. He was going to try again
next winter, providing he was still
governor when the next legislature
met
alo La raiiFn1 n
company expects to stand the cost of
the damage to engines and cars. There
is just as much reason why 1t should
pay for the lives and limbs of the en-
ployes who are killed in such acct
dents. There should be a law which
would compel corporations to provide
for widows and orphans in such cases.
There should be some law fixing the
value of human life. There should be
a fixed price for the loss of a life, an
arm, limb or an eye.
why shouldn't the corporations
pay? AS matter of fact, they would
not pay it in the end, anyway. The
public would pay it. The public pays
for everything and since the public
gets the service it ought to pay. If 1t
is given to me to write the next mes
sage to the legislature my message
will contain recommendation for
| the enactment Of such law in this
state
Inc governor IHeH LOiQ VI lis OWll
early experiences as wage Garner
and how he got his start by breaking
a couple of unruly mules. Speaking
of the latter episode of his youth he
said:
II was working for a farmer down
near De Soto for seventy-five cents
| a day. He had taken a mule to
| break and in exchange for the break
! ing was to have the use of the animal
| for the summer. The mule ran away
| three days in succession, tore up the
| corn, the pillow and the harness, and
| the farmer told me to take the brute
| home. On the way to the neighbor's
[ formulated a plan. when 1 got
there / found the owner of the mule
| had another one which was kicking
| the barn down. I made him a propO-
sition. I proposed to take the two
mules and break them and have their
services for the summer. We made
an agreement. I took the mules and
went to work with them for another
| farmer. I got start and the next
| year 1 put in a wheat crop. Two
years later found me with two farm
| teams on railroad grade. I follow
! ed that until I had a couple of thou
sand men working on railroad grades
under me. Then, as Barney Corrigan
| has said, I fell from grace and enter
ed politics. And you know the rest.
But the point is, l have been earning
more than seventy-f1ve cents a day
ever since I took the contract to
/ break those mules