The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-03-22

those foreign countries that have
adopted an employers liability act
there are three controlling factors
ordinarily present:
1st The liability is absolute, ex-
cept where the injury is the result
of willfulness on the par of the per-
son injured.
End. The liability of the master IS
limited. so that, when the contract
of employment is made both the
master and servant have the right
to anticipate what will be the cost
upon the one hand and the compensa-
ton upon the other in case OF accl-
dent
3rd There is ordinarily some plan
of insurance permitted, by which the
employer may provide, upon the pay
ment of reasonable insurance, that
his liability shall be taken care OF,
and there is another feature which
should also be noted, viz, that some
plan of speedy arbitration and ad-
justment OF difficulties is provided
so that, in cases of misfortune, where
prompt results should be obtained,
the expense and long delay incident
to court litigation is avoided.
l have never been in favor of pat
ernalism on the part of the govern
ment. l have always believed in IN
dividual endeavor, and that the Tree
dom of contract and Individual re-
sponsibility should be as little inter-
fered with a. possible, and yet | am
rapidly coming to the belief that we
have in this country a condition and
not theory. We have crudely
constructed plan of operation ON the
part of the manufacturing and coll-
mercial institutions that has created
conditions which at present are In
tolerable, does not bring about the
results that society desires, and, in
the many inequalities which ! have
heretofore referred to, the state and
society are not adequately meeting
their responsibility. | believe tat,
as far as possible, new PLAN should
be evolved by cooperation, that the
independence of the employe should
be sustained by requiring him to
make some contribution, no matter
how small, but some contribution,
to bring about the result, and that he
should have voice in the control OF
the scheme that may be adopted for
| his betterment.
Because of the annual increase OF
a progressive pension list, the liabili
ty in each case should be limited tC
very reasonable sum; otherwise the
most prosperous concern would SCOT
be overwhelmed with an increasing
annual liability, and in eacsa instance
the age, capacity, and ability of tn,
person receiving payments should b.
considered
I This plan of pension should not b.
adopted as one to support persons
in ease, without personal endeavor
but the main object to be attained i
to prevent deserving and industriou
persons from dependence and wait
and at the same time give proper en-
enlargement to such persons in rea
sonable individual effort looking t
his support
In the case of great railroad sys
. tens, where the employees humble
: many thousands, separate insuranc
organizations could and should b
, perfected, in which the enploye
/ should bear the larger proportion, bu
each employe should pay his part, n
| matter how small it is. Take tn
company with which I am connected
J There is regularly on it's pay roll
vast army, in excess of thirty thousan
: men. The expense of that compan
: for the last year, on personal injur
) account, was $4,000. Much of thi
) money was wasted, much of it wen
to men who were not SO constitute
: care of it. and the courts and lawyer
5 consumed much more than their fai
4 share, although it will be surprising
;, know how little litigation was ii
/. volved in the payment of that amour
/. If in addition to this amount pal
by the company on damage accoun
!. the employees paid an average of fit
, cents month, or $500 a year, TIL
] would make an aggregate contribute
!. by the employees of $4,000. Tt
. amount to be paid by each employ
. should depend upon his earning capa
ity. For instance, taking sectio
man, say five or ten cents a mont
and the higher grade of employees
proportion. You would thereby Great
;, a sum that, in the way of pension
), care OF the sick. the support of the di
abled, maintenance of the widow
;, and the education of minor childre
: who are deprived of their natur
wage Garner, wuuid mich more ad
quately take care of those injured
y accidents incident to the carrying
= of this dangerous business, won
make an equal distribution of benefii
would eliminate from society, and Il
o procedure In our courts, this dreadf
~ increase of perjury and subornati
. of perjury, would in most instanc
&c stamp out fraud, and would bri
u about an altogether more desirat
u condition of affairs
An average payment Of fifty Ger