Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-07

industries that offered a hazard that
could be made less by the application
| of greater measures for safety. The
factories and other branches OF en-
Payment offer a death to many oil
the workers that the coroner has nc
occasion to pass upon, continued Mr.
Mitchell, who then dwelt upon the
poor ventilation, exposure, lack Of
sanitation and the underfed condition
of many of the workers through the
fault OF the employers. He said that
thousands Of easily preventable acct
dents occur each year and that the
unions should strive to have the legis,
latures take up their cause and make
| it obligatory that safe means Of work
be established where carelessnesa
now obtains.
Quotes Roosevelt.
There are 536, 900 killed or MANNED
by American industry each year and
some statisticians say that 100000
is nearer correct" said he, quoting
statistics. He read excerpts Of a letter
written by Theodore Roosevelt when
president Of the United States In
which the president said that It is
necessary to provide new methods OF
defence against new perils, and that
many, even the most of the casualties
are preventable, and that it Is cheaper
to kill men than protect them. He
urged that the time Of congress In
talking and fooling over tariff and
conservation of the nations resources,
could be spent more profitably to the
country at large in conserving the
lives and health of the working people
employed by American industry. He
cited the difference in the methods OF
this government with that Of those OF
the old world where the working
classes are concerned and showed
where in Great Britain and the cont1-
mental countries Of Europe the work
man is safeguarded more than here,
and is given better protection.
A Comparison.
"There are more men killed in daily
occupations in American than during
any year of the civil war" said Mr..
Mitchell. when it will cost more to
kill man than to protect him, we will
have less accidents and the workmen
will be protected with safeguards
against accidents. In the mines OF the
old world the percentage Of casualties
is 1.45 per 1000, or IA persons out OF
every 10000 employed. Here the rate
is $50 per 1000, or about Sc persons
out of 10000 employed British rail-
ways show z per 1000 and American
railways 2.41 per 1000 employed"
contentment Guage.
In discussing the strength of a ma
ton Mr.. Mitchell said that 1t is not by
its army or navy that the nations
strength is measured. but by the aver
age general enlightenment and con-
tentment of the nation. He also said
that the industrial and mining laws
of this country are dead letters on the
statute books; that the employer
should be forced to equip his plant
with every known safety device to
prevent accident and protect his en-
ployes, and that the inspectors en-
ployed to inspect the industrial plants
should be educated In a school that
will equip him to perform properly
the work the law designates for him
to do. He also said that there should
be an Industrial museum for the work
men where every modern safety ap-
pliance could be seen and studied
from chart and model in order to
familiarize the worker with the means
provided for his protection. AS
reason for the higher per cent OF
casualties in American industrial
field as against the old world, Mr..
Mitchell pointed out that the Ameri-
ran working classes are a heterogen-
eous people made up from the whole
known world as against the homegen-
Ing classes of the old world. He advo-
Gated not so much the compensation
for accidents as the prevention OF
them and said that whether killed or
manned through the fault of the en-
ployer or not, the workmen should be
for injury or death. 1T
Is inhuman," said he, that a man
should have to die for the necessities
Of life"
Plan Of Indemnity.
In closing he stated the amount
that the industries of America pay to-
liability companies each year for their
protection against indemnity and
showed the sum to be approximately
500 ,OOO, 900. OF this about 43 per cent
is paid for indemnity and out Of this,
said he, the lawyers fees and court
costs eat up about IS per cent, leaving
about $3O,oO0,OO0, to the injured or the
beneficiaries OF the killed. The sum
paid to liability companies he main
tanned II paid through a properly ar.
ranged system to the employees direct
or indirect to their heirs In case OF
death, could be handled by the employ
ers without the aid Of the liability COM
panies and the workmen would have
better compensation than now obtains.
He closed his address by an appeal to
the union workers to give the best they
have for the compensation they re-
ceive and to strive for the highest
ideals of manhood and womanhood and
terminated his speech with story OF
the newsboy who preached the sermon
of brotherly love to his fellows OF the
streets saying when y meets anudder
kid watts down and out, jest poke de
kink of your arm tru de kink in his'n
n help him along"
The Night Program.
Sta+a T ncturer A n KepfOrd who