Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-12-08
Has Been Friendly to Labor.

Washington, D. c., December g.
Some idea of Mr.. LaFollette's atti-
tude toward labOring men may be
obtained from quotation from the
Congressional Record of May IA. 1906,
when his amendment to the Rail
road Rate bill, which was then pend
inc. was offered Mr.. LaFollette said
"Mr. President, in legislation for
the protection of railway employees
certain elementary facts should be
considered. The employment is an
extra hazardous one. From the very
| character of the business a railway
employee is at the mercy OF every
other employee with whom he works
He can exercise no choice of assQ
citation He is bound to work with
his coemployee, whatever his char
acter. He is part of system. He
may be placed in great jeopardy
through the carelessness of a fellow
servant, and yet be compelled to ac-
cept the risk, or imperil others whose
safety depends upon his self-sacri-
flee.
''The personal safety and lives of
the public and the property OF the
public depend upon the fidelity and
courage of men employed in the rail
way service. The proper safeguard
ing of railway employees is a matter
of public concern. 1t is a plain pro-
position that in proportion as the liza
bility of the railway company is in
creased, for the acts and defaults OF
it's officers, agents, and employees,
in that degree will be secured great
err diligence and care upon it's part,
and the hazard to the public thereby
! lessened."
That amendment failed of adoption,
but later In that session Mr.. La
forced to passage an employers La
bility bill APPLICABLE to those EN-
ployed on railways engaged i'll inter
state commerce,
In the closing days of that session
Mr.. LaFollette forced to considera-
ton his bill to limit the hours OF
men employed in railway trains en-
gagged in interstate commerce. He
held the floor one whole afternoon,
compelling roll call after roll call to
determine whether the Senate would
take his bill for consideration. Each
time the roll would be called upon
the question the vote would dis
close an absence Of quorum, The
Vice President, Mr.. Fairbanks, would
gravely announce: mo quorum is
present The secretary will call the
roll The roll would be called and
a quorum disclosed, only to melt
away into the cloak rooms when the
yeas and nays were again called.
Five times that afternoon there was
a call of the roll to determine the
presence of a quorum, and five times
there was vote taken upon
the question of agreement to the mo-
ton to take up the bill for consider
alton. 1t was agreed to upon the last
roll call.
In the course of the debate which
followed Mr.. LaFollette said:
THE railway employees have asked
again and again for legislation plac-
ing a reasonable limit upon the num-
/ Der of hours of continued service
beyond which they shall not be re-
quired to run trains. 1t is argued
that it can be left to contract be-
tween the railway companies and
their employees. Every man who
is at all familiar with the relations
existing between railway employees
and their companies knows perfectly
| we'll that whenever, an engineer is
called to take out his engine, when
ever the call is made upon the train
crew, no matter whether they have
been on duty to the limit of human
endurance, with scarcely an hours
rest, they must respond to that call.
They can not argue the matter with
the railroad company. They can
not refuse to go out. This legislation
is demanded because it is just to
faithful, intelligent, and courageous
army of men and is reasonable in
it's terms
Furthermore, it is demanded be-
cause the public is deeply interested.
1t is vital to all who travel that the
men who operate the railway trains
o. this country are in the best ply
steal and mental condition With
scarcely an exception, every after
noon as the hands of the clock point
to the hour of five some Senator
rises to entreat those i'll charge of
/ legislation for an adjournment They