The Mena weekly star., 1911-01-19

guard those engaged in hazardous
occupations against injury which
by proper appliances can be, IL not
wholly, at least partially. prevented,
Is well recognized duty of every
employer without the Intervention
of law. To provide for suitable
any fault of their own, have lost
their lives or have been seriously
injured by accidents, which, by the
exercise of proper care. can be pre-
vented, has long been recognized by
the laws of our state. Within the
last decade the General Assembly
of this State has enacted many
beneficial laws for workingmen, en-
gagged in hazardous occupations to
recover compensation for injuries
sustained, for which at common law
there could be no recovery. The
abolition of the fellow-servants rule
has been a step in the right direc-
ton. But | am of the opinion that
the time has arrived to take another
forward step and provide by legis-
lation for compulsory compensation
for Industrial accidents, regardless
of rules of the common law known
as assumption of risks and contri-
butory negligence. For the latter
would recommend to your honor
able body the enactment of law
based on what is known as compari-
tive negligence, and in addition to
these l would recommend to your
favorable consideration COM
pulsory compensation law, providing
in all cases of injury to an employee
unless it is caused by his own will
full act, compensation based on his
earnings If the injury results in
death, a sum equal to the earn
ings Of certain number of years
should be paid to the family OF the
deceased dependent upon him for
support and similar provision
should be made for him in case of
permanent or temporary disabilities
At present the burden is placed
entirely on the shoulders of the
workingmen, those least able to
bear 1t.
Temnaraueo
A vital question involving the in
terest of all the people of the
State is the proper promotion of
the cause of temperance. The
question of statewide prohibition
came before the last Legislature by
virtue of plank in the Democratic
platform calling for the passage of
bill submitting the matter to a
vote of the people. That Legisla-
ture, however, did not pass such a
bill, but allowed the prohibition
question to become so involved
with other questions as to interfere
seriously with the orderly transact
ion of regular business. ! believe
in sobriety and temperance. We
have excellent local option laws
and substantial progress has been
made under them. Under our sys-
tenn the smallest unit can prohibit
the liquor traffic. Whenever the
people of the whole State desire to
apply the principle to the whole
State, they have the undoubted
right to do SO. 1t is their govern
ment, and they have the right to
have their will executed on this as
well as on all other questions. AS
the Governor of all the people
shall be ever ready to cooperate
in rendering effective any solution o
this matter that mey be arrived at
To secure to the people the OPP
portunity to determine such ques-
tons when they could not other
wise obtain relief. actively work
ed for and advocated the adoption o
the initiative and referendum amend
ment to the constitution and the
last Democratic convention recon-
mended this as means for deter
mining the will OF the people upon
this question. If, therefore, you
do not see fit either to pass a State
wide prohibition bill or to pass a
a measure submitting that question
to the vote of the people. earn
ostly recommend that in passing an
enabling act to make effective the
initiative and referendum, you there
in make proper provision for ascer-
tanning the win of the people upon
this question. / earnestly urge you
to promptly take some action upon
this matter so that other business
may not be unnecessarily Distracted.
Education.
The people of this state pay an
nually for school proposes more than
$4.500,000 in taxes. A. tax of "a
mills is levied ON all property OF the
State for running expense of the
State government. But in addition
to the constitutional limit which
VIC pay to the common school fund.
more than two-thirds of this gener-