The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-09
Is Charged that Governors
Workmen's Compensation
Bill Dodges Employers Lii
ability Issue.
ASSEMBLY CONVENES
AGAIN LATE TODAY
Senate Promptly Adjourned
in Tribute to Dead Mem
ber-First Roll Call in the
House Held Today.
palladium Specially

Indianapolis, Jan. 9.-Both houses
of the legislature convened at two
O'Clock today. The senate heard the
report of the committee on memorial
to the late Carroll X. Cullough, hold
over senator from Anderson and after
several members paid tribute to his
memory adjourned out of respect.
The house was opened by Speaker
Veneman handing down his list OF
committee appointments, after which
the first roll call Of the session was
started. Every member was limited
to the presentation OF two bills on
each roll call
According to the program of the
legislative committee of the Democrat
ic leaders when the roll call In both
houses is completed for the first time
all bills which embody the laws prom
ised by the Democratic party In It's
last platform, and during the cam
paign, will have been introduced This
is the theory of the situation but 1t
remains to be seen ii the facts will
measure up to the theory. The leg
isiatiye committee admits that prob
ably there will be some delay in pre-
senting some of the bills. which have
become known as administration
measures" but the committee claims
the delay is due to some very minor
details which they wish to arrange in
one or two of the measures before in
PRODUCING them.
Oisseneion in Ranke
From other sources, however. comes
the we'll defined rumor there Is dis
sension In the ranks of the ma
jority over just what shall be embod-
| led in the bills. One of the measures
which, ii is said is causing trouble ia
the bill providing for employers lia-
biiity. The Democratic party Is pledg-
| ed to the passage OF an employers IL
ability law, but in his message Gov
ernor Marshall ignored the promise
and urged. instead. the passage OF a
compulsory workmens compensation
law. This has aroused the ire OF
many labor organizations and repre-
sentatives. The Union" the official
publication of the Indiana State Fed
GRAFTON of Labor and indianapolis CEN
tral labor union, edited by Edgar Per-
kins, in its last issue, grows very caus-
tic at the governors expense because
of his efforts to substitute workmen's
compensation for an employers liabil-
ity law. In an article contributed by
Henry W. Butler, associate editor Of
the Union, and an authority upon la
Dor legislation, the ultimatum is de-
/ livered that union labor wants what
it was promised, namely an employers
liability law, and 1t will not be salts
fled with any substitute of something
Just as good" The article alleges
that no state in the union ever tried
a compulsory workmens' compensa-
ton, with the exception OF New York.
and ii failed. 1t sets forth that such
a law would be unconstitutional and
ineffective, and its passage is urged
as a means of preventing the enact
ment of genuine labor legislation.
Union labor men claim the committee
appointed by the Indiana bar associa-
ton to draw up labor bills is working
in behalf of the employers and cor
porations and not in the interest of
the workmen and along moder lines.
| Governor influenced
| They say this committee has, by
some means. secured the governors
ear and he has yielded to their argu.
ments and has turned his face against
the rights Of labor and progressive
legislation. They say the bill which
this committee has framed is archaic.
being based upon the laws Of Euro
pean countries, which have since been
changed, or which do not apply to this
country. In the activity Of the com.
mittee of the Bar Association. which
is composed of Addison G. Harris
and James w. Noel of indianapolis.
and f. B. Sellers. Of Monticello labor
men profess TO see the hand of the
railroads, both steam and electric.
and the Manufacturers and Shippers
Eassociation and, they say, notwith-
standing Governor Marshalls recon-
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