The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-04-20
E TABOR BlL
q TAFI POLICY
Liability and Compensation
Measure PROGRESSIVE
JUSTICE IS IT'S OBJECT
President Approves Proposed LssisIa-
ton Making Federal Labor Laws Fit
Modern cenditions-Lesal Machinery
simpIifiod.

As the result Of the personal interest
OF President Taft in oil mntters af-
fecting the workingmen of the country.
congress has before It today a com
prehenslye bill on employers liability
and workmen's compensation which Is
recognized as one OF the most progress
sive OF the many achievements OF the
Taft administration. The Bill was re-
ported by a commission appointed by
President Taft pursuant to a Joint res
olution of congress passed on June 25s
1910. and It was recently sent to con-
gress by the president, accompanied
with message recommending Its pas
sage. AS drafted the measure pro-
vides m exclusive remedy and COM
pensatlon for accidental injuries re-
sultlng In disabilities or death to en-
ployees of common carriers engaged
in interstate or foreign commerce or
In the District of Columbia.
This comprehensive legislation isthe
direct outcome of the general unsatis-
factoriness Of labor legislation passed
by congress in recent years and Is IL
Illustrative of the Taft method Of reach
ing an admitted evil by a painstalIing
investigation followed by carefully
considered laws. AS is well known. the
first employers liability law passed in
the last administration was declared
unconstitutional by the courts. A new
law to take its place was passed un-
der this administration, but it was gen.
orally understood at the time that the
comprehensive measure now before
congress was to follow, both as to
liability and compensation, us soon as
the necessary investigation into the
subject could be made. The result is
that the workingmen Of the United
States, so far MS they can be reached
by federal law. will soon be working
under one Of the most enlightened la
Dor laws on record,
Provision is madefn the bill, as draft
ed tentatively. that every common car
rler engaged i'm interstate or foreign
commerce shall pay compensNtions in
the amounts specified in the bill to any
of Its employees who sustains personal
injury by accident arising out Of and
in the course of his employment and
resulting in his disability or to his de-
pendents in case of death.
1t is provided in the bill that the in.
jured employee shall have medical at.
tendance and surgical aid when nee
essary, the last mentioned being limit
ed to $500. The monthly wages Of an
employee are deemed to be twenty.six
times the established days pay, and
$50 is the minimum monthly wage pay.
ment. 1t is also provided that all COM
pensation shall be paid monthly unless
computed to lump sum.
Death benefits IRE provided for at q
specific percentage Of the mans wages
to be paid to the widow with an in.
crease in the amountswh6n there are
dependent children, and in case of no
dependents the payment Of the burial
expenses is required. The matter Of
personal injury compensation is also
covered in Il fair and equitable pro-
vision.
Another feature Of the proposed act
Is a clear definition of the term de.
pendent" as well as of what consti-
tutes an Injury" and an employee"
Legal complications are provided for.
reports. of accidents, payments and
operations under the law to the inter-
state commerce commission are re
quired, and It is declared that the pro-
posed act sEa Il take effect OH July /,
1912, and citl,d as 1.-The federal com.
pensation act OF 1912"
In Its investigations Of this subject
the commission determined at the out
set that in substance the doctrines of
the common law originating under com.
paratively simple conditions we're IN
just as applied to the complex relations
Of master and servant. The use Of
complicated machinery, steam and cleo
tricity has had the effect of increasing
the deplorable antagonism between
employer and employee and often
giving a few injured employees large
and frequently extravagant damages.
while the great majority have been left
to bear the entire burden without any
recompense whatever.
At the time of the adoption of the
common law rules of liability indus
trial conditions were radically differ
ent from those Of today. The number
of employees was smaller because
there weun few big Industrial plants
The BUSINESS carried on was small In
extent, the appliances used in the
work consisted largely OF hand tools.
while the power was simple in char
acter, with little danger to the EN-.
ployee. Under such conditions the
rules Of common law originated.
Today there is vast difference.
President Taft, in the message which
transmitted the report of the commits.
sion to congress, aptly says, in speak
ing of the proposed bill. "that 1t is one
Of the great steps Of progress toward
satisfactory solution of an important
phase Of the controversies between en-
ployers and emplpy that have been
proposed within the last two or three
decades. The old rules OF liability un
der the common aw were adapted to a