Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-03-15
LIABILITY BILL
PASSES SENATE

Senator Siizer wanted to nave the
biIl. laid over on the second reading
70 ra new print. and so that the
amendments adopted might be
looked over. Upon q vote being ta-
ken. however. his motion was de-
clared lost by President Alderman.
Took Up Entire Morning.
With the employers liability bill as
the special order the entire morning SEES
sion of the Senate yesterday was de-
voted to a discussion of four Of the
amendments offered by Senator Geb-
hardt, of Hunterdon. incidentally, the
discussion afforded an opportunity for
several of the Senators to give express
sion of their views relative to the
Edge bill, the amendments proposed by
Senator Gebhardt, and to define their
views relative to the proper protec-
tion of the laboring man.
III want to safeguard the rights OF
the working man" was the emphatic
utterance of Senator Gebhardt, when he
called the attention of the Senate to
the amendments he offered, and printed
copies of which had been distributed
on the desks of the senators. "Sec-
ton two Of this bill,o he continued,
q would be in effect no matter how free
the employe might be from negligence
or how guilty the master might be, on
the other hand. For that reason, / be-
lieve 1t should be amended"
Some of the phraesology of the bill
was amended upon motion of Senator
Edge, Of Atlantic. He also offered al
amendment to the effect that sections
one and two should be entirely separ-
ate, and that section one shall not ap-
ply to eases over which section two had
jurisdiction. This provided, In effect,
that there shall be nj compensation
scheme, and a common law plan,
Another amendment was adopted that
provided that all accidents or actions
begun previous to this act, shall be CON
tinued and shall<not be under this act.
Gebhardt's Argument.
In advocating his amendments Sen
ator Gebhardt declared that if this act
went into effect we would have a com
pensation act, pure and simple, and moi
IN employers liability act, He re
erence to employers liability legisla-
tion, and referred to the many excel
lent features of the Alderman employ
ers' liability now ON the statutes of
New Jersey. 1.-THE proposition of this
bill u.s." he observed" to wipe out
this splendid law, and every other law
Of its kind at the same time"
Pointing out what he considered some
of the flaws in the proposed law, Mr..
Gebhardt said: eff the employee does
not give written notice Of his election
as to the system under which he will
have his case considered. he will be
under section two Of the act. This, ii
effect n~ullifes section one, because II
would work automatically. That i;
why I want to see an agreement made
that will not be a trap to. the work
ingman. The workingman Of New Jer
sey has asked for bread, but this bill
will give him a stone.o
II do not propose to be a party
said Senator Gebhardt, tfto this sgold
brick proposition so long as I am Q
lmember of the Senate. This is a deer
subject, and the court of appeals diff
lfers In its Judgment on these matters
lsnd therefore, what can you expect OF
q ~workingmon who cannot read and
lw1itefn
Edge Opposes Amendment.
Senator Edge, IN declaring his oppo,
sition to the amendments offered by
Senator Gebhardt, said that the com.
mission had honestly worked with 8
view Of perfeeting a bill that would en-
able the workingmen TO get much OF
the money which was now dissipated in
court and other expenses. He quoted
from the records Of the State Of Penn.
sylvania showing the amounts paid to
workingmen who had been injured
and giving the proportion Of those who
received their money without the ex-
pense Of law suits. 1.-THE general pub
Lie will finally pay the cost of the Con
~seryation Of life and limb he de-
elared, and the passage Of the bill will
result in the employers safeguarding
the interests of the workingman."
Senator Hand, Of Cape May, called
the attention of the senate to the sys-
tenn of the Pennsylvania railroad, which
annually paid out large sums to tfe
men employed on that system.
Senator Edge declared that at pres
ent whom a man was hurt he at once
becomes engaged in a fight with his
master, and the automatic arrangements
of compensation provided for in the
bill, would eliminate this feature which
prevailed in the industrial world.
To Protect Workingmen.
Senator Osborne, Of Essex, in sup
porting the bill declared that It's pur-
pose was to protect the workinpman,
tits an insult to the intelligence of
a w~orkingman to say that he will be
s~and-bagged' under his provisions he
observed. "The plan embraced In the
bill, as recommended by the Commits
sion, as a whole proposition, is a good
one.o
Senator silzer, of Middlesex, object.
ed to the compulsory feature of. the
bill, declaring that 1t was impossible
to enact such an act under the eonsti-
tuition. He stated that he was in IA
vor of the general principle as embed
led in the bill, but he was not alto
gether pleased with the form in which
the biz stood at the present time. He
entertained into q discussion of some
of the legal features incident to the
bill, and he was followed by Senator
Bradley, who said. 81 believe a law
should be enacted to protect the weak, j,
Senator Gebhardt, after getting the
floor once more, said: "Give the In
Jured man his compensation in bulk,
give 1t to him outright, so that he may
have 1t instead of distributing 1t over
more than three years. If he has it In
one sum he will be able to do so much
more with it,
Railway Aeropiane Drops.
Railway, March 16:-Frank e.
Boland yesterday tried bis new aero
plane on the Corre5a farm, near Rah-
way. The machine went up leo feet