The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-03-25
Judiciary Committee of House
Takes Final Action-Report
Is Unanimous.
LABOR REPRESENTATIVES
ARE FAVORABLY INCLINED
State Insurance Receives Impetus
During Week-Amendment
Is Proposed.
Special Correspondence.
(By W. f. McEWen.)


ST. PAUL, March 24.-The judi
ciary committee of the house held it's
final hearing on the Mercer-McEwen
code for workingmen's compensation
Monday morning, and after listening
to brief arguments from Messrs. Mer-
Ger and McEwen a few unimportant
amendments were agreed to, and by
unanimous vote the committee de-
cided to recommend the bill to the
house for final action.
What the outcome will be it is diff
ficult to forecast. Most of the daily
newspapers Of the Twin cities are
pleading for delay and the continu-
ance of the commission. A large
number Of employers would like to
see the bill go over. However, it is
understood that the railroads and the
mining companies, the industries
which suffer the heaviest losses from
accidents. are exceedingly anxious to
Of the legislature.
Labor Is Coming Around.
Labor is gradually coming around
to the bill. The conservative repres-
entatives of the trade unions who have
seen number Of legislatures ad-
journ without passing any kind Of
legislation relieving injured working
men from the doctrines Of assumption
of risk and the fellow servant, are
tant that the principle of compensa-
ton should be adopted than it is
to quarrel over the amount of COM
pensa ton.
The Minneapolis Painters union, at
it's last meeting, with a membership
Of more than 500, endorsed the Nc
Even Mercer code. The State Fed
Grafton of Labor went on record in
favor Of the bill, but asked that the
limitation for death be raised to
$4,000, and the period of time for
permanent disability be extended from
five to eight years.
II abroad Men More Favorable.
The representatives of the railroad
hrotherhoods at the capitol do not
like the low compensation of the
code, but they might endorse it if the
compensation were increased. The
railroad men are in a much more
favorable position with regards to
getting compensation under the pres
ent law than are the other classes Of
workingmen.
Inc fellow servant rule was abr0-
gated by statute number of years
ago on the railroads. Then too. the
railroad men engaged in interstate
employments have good chances for
recovery under the federal employ
er's liability act. Because of their
good position now they believe they
are called upon to make a sacrifice
by the Mercer-McEwen code, but a
study Of large number Of railroad d
accidents would indicate that only
q mighty few obtain compensation of
any kind.
State Insurance Is Popular.
1t is strange to note how many
people in the state are in favor of
state insurance. l drafted an amend
ment to the constitution this week
which gives the legislature the right
to create an idemnity fund for in
jured workingmen. This Is to be COL
lected by taxing the pay roll of in
dustries doing business within this
state.
II this amendment could be adopted
by the people it would give the legis-
lature an opportunity to enact a law
that would have for it's purpose the
conservation Of all the existing waste
under employers liability, and every
WOrkingman would receive comnensa-
ton during the entire period of his
elsa bility
l do not expect the bill to PASS.
but 1t will undoubtedly have it's educa-
t1onal effect. Some day the state will
be obliged to take up this subject.
Il have been committed to state in
surance for several years. The more
nave studied the question, the more
convinced l am that it affords the only
economic and scientific solution to the
problem Of workingmens compensa-
ton.
"Parternalsm of this kind is feared
but We lose little sleep about caring
IN other ways for society's many un-
1ortunates. The state now makes
provision for the care Of it's mental
wrecks Why not adopt amore near
~ just way OF caring for our ply
s1cal wrecks?
Protest Proposed Code.
Employers protest against the code
we recommended to the legislature
because it will increase the cost of in
surance. Laborers do not take kind
ly to 1t because of the low compen-
sations provided
Our code simply removes a small
part of the social waste which now
obtains. The personal injury attor-
ney is eliminated, but the claim agent
for the insurance company still re-