New-York tribune., 1911-12-24
LIABILITY AMENDMENT
Francis Lynde StetSon Offers a
New One to Aid Workmen.
WOULD HAVE VOTE IN 1913
He Thinks Ancillary Provisions
in Other Amendments Will
Likely Cause Delay.

Widespread interest is being manifesteo
I'm tho amendment TO the constitution OF
the State OF New York that has been pro-
posed by Francis Lynde Stetson. with
view TO making possible the enactment ol
q workingmens compensation law.
The necessity for some sort Of amend
ment lies in the fact that the Court of
Appeals held the Wainwright compensa-
ton law unconstitutional Tho one suG-
gested by Mr. Stetson. vino is chairman
/ of the committee on legislative policy oi
the department on work and compersa-
tion Of the National Civic Federation pro-
/ poses a substitute for several amendments
| that have already been offered, in all OF
! which he finds objections to the extent that
they undertake TO do something other ana
different from making provision for suit
| able and legal workmens compensation
law.
| Commenting on the situation with re-
gard to these amendments, Mr. Stetson
| says:
We want to get proper workmen COM
| pensatlon law. and We want 10 get IL IA
soon as we can Ny belief Is that the IN
! PRODUCTION of ancillary. even though de-
sirable provisions which are quesuoTdpie
| and questioned by many VIII Lead 10 =
postponement and not to iacIIltatiom .,,,, ~
| the enactment of a proper workmen : roll
! pensation law: and So having that suplect
! near to my heart. ] do trust that fIerS
| friend Of wise legislation on the sungect y.
| Workmcn's compenSa ton VIII be Wllllng 10
! ioln with all of us in an amendment hav-
! ing that single object in view, ana that. II
! these other objects are TO be sought they
| shall he sought through a dlHerenI seIes
| of amendments depending on their own
merits and on discussion concerning
| them.
The amendment proposed by Mr.. Stetson
not only states more clearly the powers OF
the Wainwright commissions amendments
i'm respect to imposing responsibilities upon
employers and employees jointly, as well as
upon employers only. but Is. i'm some re-
spects. a substantial addition to these
amendments Mr.. Stetson proposes that
the Legislature may require employers ard
employees Jointly to make provision for ard
10 pay reasonable compensation. regardless
Of fault, to employees on account of IN
iuries suffered by them by accidents aris-
ing out of and in course Of employment
or 10 the dependents of any such employe
dying from such accident This is broader
than the Wainwright amendment, which
refers 10 accidents of employment only
The amendment OF MIR. Stetson also pro-
vides for a system OF insurance which may
or may not include the mutual association
of persons responsible for. or Of persons
entitled to, compensation on the ground
Of accident. 1t states that no civil proceed
ing other than that authorized by COM
pensation law shall be maintanable in re
spect of any accident covered thereby, and
that the Legislature shall not be affected
by antecedent provisions Of the consttu-
ton requiring trial by jury and forbidding
Limitation of the amount recoverable in
the case of fatal injuries
Mr.. Stetson says that the constitutional
amendment shall be reduced to the lowest
POSSIBLE terms consistent with the preser-
walton of the workmens compensation In
terest, so that il could be submitted 10 the
people in 1913, saving year before the
election of the Senate Of 1914 II the pres
ent Senate should not adopt the amend
ment II could not be adopted until the
succeeding Senate is elected II is posi-
HE that before that time a constitutional
convention may intervene, and Mr.. Stetson
thinks that the people should be educated
on various other propositions which may
he submitted to that convention.