Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-15
The movement for industrial compensa
ton laws Is the result
THE INDUSTRIAL, LOSS.


It is estimated that in the United states
thirty to forty thousand wage earners
are killed by industrial accidents yearly:
five hundred thousand are seriously in
tured. 1t Is safe to say that double this
number of fatalities from industrial acct
dents would hardly comprehend the num-
Der of deaths resulting from occupational
diseases-lead poisoning. mercury poison
ing, arsenic poisoning, anthrax, compress
ed air diseases. and tho many other in
dustria diseases that prevail throughout
the country And these enormous losses
Of life and limb are largely, it not mostly
preventable.
In the last two years we have seen Il
tremendous movement. in favor OF work.
mems compensation, a more equitable
distribution of the burden of accidents In
Cured In production, and for the pre-
vention of the preventablo losses which
industry now imposes upon workers-up-
on US, society. Wisconsin having lust
passed Il workmon's compens ation act
the Legislature Is now considering y
measure which aims not merely to i'm
prove the rule Of compensation or money
damages between workers and employers
for these Industrial losses in human life
and limb, hut-what is vastly more i'm
portant--to prevent these losses.
OUR LABOR LAWS INEFFECTIVE
If we merely compensate at one end. and
do not prevent ri the other, then we can
not hope to benefit society or even to
cheaper the product. For this purpose OF
prevention the present labor laws are in
effective. They constitute a body of laws
4 bo ri nd oh py,,
system Of industry under which we live.
A law which describes n piece OF ma
chinery in detail is hard to draft and still
harder to enforce. and after the descrip-
ton has been made as thorough as human
ingenuity can make It, there still remains
the fact that. with the rapid growth of
invention. tomorrow the description may
be obsolete and useless. SO the manufac-
turer finds himself unable, even If he
| really tries to do his best. to readjust
conditions to these unequal. misft and
untimely laws.
A factory inspector finds it Impossible
to enforce laws which are often archaic
| year after they are made. To obviato
this difficulty. the industrial commission
| bill has been introduced, proposing a com
mission which shall have power to look
! into the conditions of industry and ex-
anime the best safety devices the best
methods which can be used for protec-
| ton against disease and accident.
THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION IDEA
Upon a scientific examination Of such
| methods and devices, it is proposed that
| reasonable standards Of safety and health
shall be made and enforced hy this com
! mission in the same manner in which
| reasonable rates and reasonably adequa t.
| services and facilities are prescribed anG
enforced by similar commissions dealing
| with railroads and public utilities. II We
| can delegate to a commission the power &c
make reasonable rates and require rea
! sonably adequate facilities IN transporta
| ton, We can delegate to a commission Tho
! power to fix reasonable standards o,
methods appliances and conditions t.
| protect health and life in industry.
II will occur at once to the thinker tha
such a commission Will be the way out o
| the difficulty Of readiustinC the law I,
| the rapidly changing economic conditions
| 1t will say to the manufacturer Here arr
| certain health and safety devices anC
| methods which we have examined. W,
have found that they are suitable to tn,
conditions in your factory, and you shall
| use them. "
| The well disposed manufacturer will no
| hesitate to take the advice of a body O
| experts of this kind while the man WIFI
| cares very little about his employees vii
| he compelled to use this reasonable pro
| lection to human life. II based upol
scientific principles, If common sense I
| used in working out the problem. thei
human life will undoubtedly be saved
| the conditions OF industry will be bettere,
and life he made more worth living--an'
saving Through the workmen's compen
sation and insurance laws. on the othe
hand, a just and reasonable compensa
ton for those losses which cannot he fore
seen and prevented will be spread owe
industry, and from that to society.
We may hope for the dawn of ney
| day in labor conditions. We may hop
that better and more humane industrial
conditions and a great gain in the sur
total of human welfare and human happi
ness will result from this benehcent an
| lOng-1cSiraI lapiSlntinp