The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-08
HEARING ON
REMOVAL OF
DEATH LIMIT
Bridgeport Manufacturers Prefer
no Limit to One of $4,000
Hearings Now Closed
Especial to The Farmer.)


% Hartford, Feb S-The Judiciary com
ings on the several bills extending OF
removing the statutory limit of 5000
damages for injuries resulting in
death. The majority of those present
comprised the manufacturing interests
of the State and the general view was
better no limit at all than one of any
such size as $4,000.
William r. Webster, representing
the Bridgeport Brass Co., and speak
ing in sense for the local manu-
featuring interests deprecated any
movement that would increase the
limit to anything like $4,000. He
pointed out that there are in business
facturers who might be ruined should
it be their misfortune to have a judg-
ment for the larger sum levied against
them. He believed that 1t would be
better to have the limit removed en-
tirely and let the matter lay with the
Jury and the court.
NJ. E. Brewster-Gre secretary of
the Manufacturers association said
the proposed legislation would tend
to injure the credit Of concerns by
Gripping them financially and tending
to make creditors uneasy.
The local manufacturers were repre-
sented by M. M. Brewster-Greene, sec
retary Of the association, Eugene F.
Russell, Locomobile Co., Edward ].
w. r. Webster, Bridgeport Brass Co.;
Frank J. Mulcahy. Crane Valve Co.;
Jerome Orcutt, Union Metallic Cart
ridge Co.; A. w. Burritt, the A. w.
Burritt Co.; Edward Mora, Harvey
Hubbell Co.: j. D. Kingsbury. Grant
Manufacturing Co.; Nelson Hoyt, Sing
er Manufa cturing Co.: N. P. Flynn,
Downs, Bridgeport Elastic Co.; R. E.
Parsons, the r. e. Parsons Co.; o. G.
Fighter, Downer-Hawes Co.; Horace
Smith, Farist Steel Co.; and represen-
tatives from the Salts Textile Co.;
Eastman Corporation, the H. 0. Can
field Co.; the Bridgeport Malleable
Iron Co.
ious members of the Manufacturers
association beginning with Colonel
George Pope. Hartford, who said per-
sonally, he thought no limit should
be set but the jury should be allowed
to assess just damages. He could see
how judgments might be given that
would bankrupt the employer and not
leave the person getting the judgment
much better off.
Colonel Charles M. Jarvis, who fol-
lowed, said that to change the limit
from $4,000 to $4,000 would be alto
gether too radical and would be un-
fair to the small manufacturer who
might be ruined by a single accident
and he said that while he was con-
nected with the Berlin Iron Bridge
Co., workman who had been dis
charged for drunkenness cut a rope
50 that it gave way the next morning
and five employees were killed. If the
damage limit had then been $4,000.
it would have bankrupted the COM
pany. He thought it would be wise to
hold up these bills until the matter
of an Employers Liability bill had
been considered. The manufacturers,
he thought, are in favor of law on
the German plan which would pension
dependents. He should not favor in
creasing the death damage limit in
excess Of $4,000.
c. II. Merrfck Of Danbury favored
delay until a. compensation act could
be worked out as did w. J. Larkin OF
Waterbury.
Colonel Pope asked for a show Of
hands on the part of those favoring
the removal Of a limit and most Of
the manufacturers responded though
a dozen were in favor of having
some limit.