The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-25

,s i,stitnted in Alabama, will eVeheu' ,a,,,a inc nroblems involved in the nresent fake and trivial damage sun tansle. is the concensus Of oplhloh oi inc leading attorneys and business iiien x. -bo ara informed on the mat ter. -,.- .,- ..rbat is 10 say--for the business cor norationsn said one of the judges as for railroad and street railway com anias only an enlightened puoho e,,i,,io,, will prevail. For all other com panies and business concerns this coin2 pensation principle is, in reaIl'y' the one remedy. , "Monevs paid out will then go to the marty injured and he will not have to go halves with his lawyer
 "The heavy expenses and court costs and fees incidental to long trials VIII Re avoided and, in short, there VIII De hore of a chance for simple common humanity to show itself.
 AS for the spirit of holding up rail- roads and street railways, In other words doing them for all they are | worth I believe that the Systemauc publication of the facts of the trlVlal cases on the dockets here will eHeet- uallv demonstrate the situation to the public and, in the long run arouse liie | idea of the square deal ana pro nounced sentiment against shyster pus' mess in every way, shape and iorn'
 Not Done the Next Minute
 nput all that sort of thing takes time' | e. aoas the working out of the compeh- sation theory take time, ana the inss
 t,tion of new ways and means or run
 ming A company according 10 auNaneeu standards. e.oo, cornor-
 Take the United States Steel eo,po tl.'s, ation If ever a body of enlightened ousI- sass r,en was endeavoring to secure Wlse' met and humane principles to ouiid tneir uaarnpotb enterprises on, l believe II is this great corporation.
 IT ia stated by John A. Fitch Tn re | cent article in the American MaeaHino that there is reason to hope that the frnttad states Steel corporation VIII lead the way toward broader anu per ter poley and set standaru iot a4 other employing corporations 1heh ne Instances the following mnoVatloiis. ne order to do away with all unnecessary S,,,5o,, u,orl. inc compensation scheme Cor ,5ictims of industrial accidents, an increase in wages. and the establishment of pension fund; and, what IS a com narativelv new movement, the anti-accl- l
 dent policy. AT. ,eThere are now experts" says MT. Fitch ..veritable safety-devce cranks, who spend their whole time trying 10 make the mills safer There are inspec- tors who report regularly to the experts and thus there is growing up within me corporation a fixed and permanent ldea that dangerous places must be fought' unsafe machinery made safe, and human tn ha beams and rails-a fine and human ideal"
 Advocates for Compensation
 MT. Fitch, together with Mir. Shelby M
 Harrison. both of the survey stan' Will remain in Birmingham a week or so longer They are already in close touch with the leading men of this community
 George B. Mccormack. Gordon Craw- ford. Charles T. Fairbairn, A. H. Ford
 Robert Jemison, IT,, Judge A o. Lane,
 Frank Crockard and others, and are get
 ting all of their information from the most authoritative sources. Mr. Fitch is going thoroughly into all
 sides of the labor situation here, and all
 the methods prevailing in the coal iron
 and steel business of the Birmingham
 district
 The results of his investigation and , those of his co-workers on the survey, are being awaited with considerable degree of interest. For Birmingham to l be interpreted to the United states at large by the most expert group or soelai students and writers in the field today Is something of an event.
 All of these men declared adVo- eates for the workers compensation aet and members of the American Assocla- ton for Labor Legislation.
 Each week adds to the number ot l indus trial accidents has become realty. Wisconsin Is the latest. The Wisconsin law has features of both the New | IlamDshire and the California acts. II puts compen sation on an optional basis | election to be made by the employer and employe at stated times since the alternative choice for the employer ls liability with the defenses of assump- lion of risk and fellow servants negl- gence removed, and for the employe the old common law liability, the same pressure as in the New Hampshire act is brought to bear upon both sides to choose compensation
 Precise Details
 The rate of compensation is medical | expense: 65 per cent of wages Tor total disahi for a period not to exceed | four years, this amount to be ralseo l to no per cent for the first three l
 ed: 65 per cent of wage loss Tor neriod not to exceed 15 years for par l tial dfsa bility: and at death four year l wages where there are total depehh- ents and in proportion in cases or par tial dependents. payable, where posslole, in installments In cases of injury, l week must elapse before payment be- gins the loss to be made up 1T dlsa- bility continues for a month
 As in California. permanent lndns- trial accidents board is appointed, con sisting of the commissioner of labor and two others, the latter at salary of $500 a wear to whom all disputes are to be referred and whose decision Is to be final. In order to settle the question of the constitutionality of the law before l September, 1911, when it is to become | operative arrangements are being made to bring injunctianal proceedings against the industrial accidents board.
 Political Parties United For It | The success of the law before the 1 legislature was largely due to the fact that the republican, democratic and so- cial democratic parties were all pledged to it in their platform.
 | As for the compensation act that has been employed by one company in the Birmingham district, the Tennessee Coal and Iron company during the past F months. it has features of great interest, It is voluntary accident relief plan provided by subsidiary companies of the United States Steel Corporation for em- ployees injured and for the families Of l iyiItal m work accidents f is