The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-14
 FOR WORKMEN'S
 COMPENSATION
Especial from United Press.


 New York, Jan. 14-With Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and Andrew Car negie scheduled to present their views on the question of Workmen's Com pensation legislation before the Ma tional Civic Federation, the report of the Laws Committee, which has draft ed a bill to meet the situation, was re- ceived with great interest when the Federal convention resumed it's meet ing, yesterday.
 Half dozen papers on each of these topics were read and discussed, the delegates apparently agreeing that the State Banking laws should be made uniform and modelled in part along the lines of the laws now in force in this State
 F. Tecumseh Sherman, chairman of the legal committee of the Department of Compensation for Industrial Acci- dents and Their Prevention, read five thousand word explanation of the pro- posed law on this subject. He said that the chief objection to the propos- ed law is one of constitutionality. Be- cause of this fact, he said, the com- mittee agreed that an attempt would be made to limit such a law at present to the so-called hazardous occupa- tions.
 'The real constitutional danger we face" said Sherman, 'is that a law limited in its application to the more hazardous industries might be held to offend against that of another con- stltutionaI provision which forbids unreasonable discrimination between persons or classes. Thus, in the more dangerous industries there will be oc- equations which will be comparative ly safe and in the safer industries many occupations which are compar- atively dangerous. It is believed, however, that a law based on the de- gree of danger, which should apply to the former and not the latter. would not unreasonab1y discriminate against them.
 '"rhe bill submitted to you by your committee contains the outlines and essential provisions of a simple com pensation law, without compulsory in- surancc.
 'Those who have studied this sub- ject favor some legislation of this character but the public is not yet sufficiently educated to accept compul- sorry insurance. The demand for im- mediate relief, however, is acute only in the great dangerous industries and there is no pressing demand for relief from the burden of physical accidents from such classes of employees as clerks, stenographers, domestic ser wants, salesmen, etc.
 "Our bill applies only to workmen earning less than s1,S0O a year and in case of death or fatal injury the work mems dependents are to receive lump sum equal to four years wages but never to exceed $3,000. In case of non-fatal injury the workman is to receive weekly payments equal to one half his wages or to one half the impairment of his earnings during the period of his disablement, but not to exceed 10 dollars week or to con- tinue more than 10 years in any event. oId %I ed to furnish whatever medical and surgical service as shall be necessary after the accident but not to cost more than $100.
 '"To those who view this movement with alarm I want to point out that for 25 years the United States has Jagged in the rear of civilization We must make a move toward compensa- ton soon. Otherwise we will continue, with ever increasing innes91. down the broad way of Employers Liability laws which lead to social destruction"