The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-02-10
MAN is FORGOTTEN
Underlying Cause of Casualties
of Industry.
DEATH THE PRICE OF A JOB.

Worker Who Won't Take Chances
Soon Loses Employment-Two Rail-
road Rules That Show What Value Is
Placed on the Toiler.
At the fourth annual meeting of the
American Association For Labor Legis
lation in st. Louis Daniel L. Cease,
editor of the Railway Trainmen's
Magazine and member of the national
commission on employers liability,
submitted q paper on Compulsory
Compensation For Injured Workmen."
He said that the railroad casualty
statistics for the last year showed that
nine men were killed each twenty-four
hours and that one was injured or
killed every seven minutes. One man
was killed for each POS employed and
one was injured for every nine en-
ployed
at is customary to aver that compen-
sation for injury and death will go
long way to reduce casualties, mean
ing that employers will install safety
devices and exercise greater care in
the operation of dangerous machinery,
but feel sure that even with assured
compensation and the most perfect
safety devices there will always be
a most terrible loss Of life and limb.
We have reached that stage In indus
try Of which it can be said we have
gone output mad Every scientific
means, every mechanical device, has
been employed as an aid to produc-
ton, and with it the man has been
duces the efficiency of safety devices,
for it places the entire question of
safety automatically upon the device.
81 almost wish my paper had been
confined to the specific rules for safe
ty that are supposed to be in opera
ton on certain Of our railroads. These
rules are for the legal protection of
the company, and it is not intended
the employees will observe them liter
ally. These rules are used as COM
mon law defenses against liability and
are forced on the employee as con
dition of employment.
Il will quote a paragraph from an
official railroad bulletin of the pro
lection to the employee kind, and then
l will quote from letter issued by
superintendent to his employees.
quote from the bulletin
Employees. before they attempt to make
couplings or to uncouple, will examine and
see that the cars or engines to be UNI
coupled or coupled, couplers, drawbacks
and other appliances connected Herewith,
ties, rails tracks and roadbed are In good,
safe condition. They must exercise great
care in coupling and uncoupling cars. In
all cases sufficient time must be taken to
avoid accident or personal injury.
"This rule is for the legal defense of
the company. Now note the rule for
the men:
ENTIRELY too much time is being lost,
especially on local trains, due to train and
engine men not taking advantage of con-
ditions in order to gain time doing work,
switching and unloading and loading
freight. Neither must you walt until train
stops to get men in position. 1t is also or
the utmost Importance that enginemen
be alive, prompt to take signals and make
quick moves. In this respect it is only
necessary to call your attention to the old
adage, which is a true one, that when
train or engine men do not make good on
local trains it thoroughly demonstrates
those men are detrimental to the service
as we'll as their own personal interests
and such men, instead Of being assigned
to other runs should be dispensed with
/ am calling your attention to these mat
tiers with view of invigorating energy
and ambition, in order that your families
who are dependent on you to make sue
cess shall not some day point the finger
of scorn at you and that the public may
not be able to say you lost your position
due to lack of energy and interest In your
own personal welfare, for which you can
consistently place the responsibility on no
one but yourself.
Compare the bulletin with the letter
and note the difference. I say to you
now that II railroad employees observ-
ed the companies rules for safety the
railroads of the United States would
be within twelve hours hopelessly con-
gested.
"a system of almost perfect mechan-
ical production has been installed, and
the man must keep pace with 1t. So
much must be produced per man per
machine per hour, and the man knows
| If he falls below the minimum of pro
duction he will lose his job, and job
is a Job even in this land of oppor-
tunity. He knows the memorable rule.
"Does it not appeal to you that there
is an underlying cause other than
negligence that is responsible for the
casualty record? We have been so
busy making money that we have for
gotten the real man who made it, for
gotten his family, neglected ordinary
rules for national welfare and safety,
until we are overwhelmed with the
enormity of our industrial offenses,
and we hope shamed into an effort
| toward forcing restitution. say
forcing for 1t never will be made
otherwise.
I'VE ask that every human sacrifice
be fully compensated without having
to wait for the delays and uncertain
ties of the courts we want the injured
not to have to suffer mental pain with
his physical ills for fear of the future
| for himself and his family; we demand
medical, surgical and hospital atten-
ton; we want certainty of RESPONSE
bility fixed for the employer, with GER
tainty of compensation fixed for the
employee; we want the defenses OF
negligence, fellow servant and assump-
ton of risk eliminated; we want all
the common law defenses now open to
- h.. -.