Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-12
By CHARLES D. HILLEs.


NEW YORK Aug 12.-President
Taft will be reelected because he has
never failed to prove his friendship for
labor. When he was first nominated,
in 1908, his enemies said he could not
be elected because as a judge on the
bench he had rendered certain deci-
sions against labor leaders. The presi
dent met the issue squarely, Just as he
: does all others. He did not deny; he
dld not finch. He told the exact truth
to the great audiences of labor men
who came to hear him What was the
result? Their animoslty turned to re-
spect and admiration, and it was large
lY the labor vote which elected Mr.
Taft president. He will get that vote
this year, and it will do its full part in
electing him president, for labor is fair
1t knows what the square deal is and
when it comes to examine Mr. Tafts
record 1t will find that he has made
good his word and has procured the
enactment of more good labor legisla-
ton than any of his predecessors.
President Taft has procured for the
workngman who is injured while
working on an interstate railway the
right to have his widow and children
sue to recover damages should he die
before such suit was begun or COM
pleted. He has procured from congress
larger authority for the interstate COM
merCe commission to compel railways
to use safety appliances for the protec-
ton of employees. He has procured
an amendment to the law making the
frequent inspection of boilers compul-
sorry and forbidding the use of any boil
er found defective. He has secured the
establishment of bureau Of mines.
which is devoting its chief energies to
improving mine conditions In the in
terest of the safety Of the miners. to
teaching the best methods of rescue
5000 miners are being trained in res
cue work-to intoxicating the use OF the
safest explosives and the most APP
proved appliances and to the mainte-
nance of seven Pullman cars, each with
a rescue corps. to go to the actual as
sistanCe of entombed miners
ChiIdren's Labor Bureau.
He has procured the establishment
Of a chiIdren's labor bureau for the
protection Of children who are obliged
to work and the improvement of the
conditions under which they work But,
above all, he has sent to congress, and
it is in fair way to become law, an
employers liability law which will gain
for the workingman who is injured in
the performance of his duty not only
the most generous possible compensa
ton for injuries ne receives, which
wipes out the pern4cious doctrine of
"contributory negligence" but which
will save TO such employee all the vast
sum he is now obliged to spend for law
yers and court costs, too often half or
more of the total damages he receives
for his injury.
This measure has been pronounced
by all who have studied it-except those
lawyers who will lose their fees-the
most generous, humane and progress
sive piece of labor legislation fathered
by any administration in the history of
; the country. 1t would have been a
law by now had there not been a po-
litical division between the two houses
of congress 1t is so essentially Taft
measure that the Democrats probably
will not permit it TO become a law I'M
til after the election, but its ultimate
enactment is assured.
Another important progressive meas
ure which Is still in the process Of en-
actment, but for which Mr. Taft de-
serves the credit. is q model child labor
law for the District OF Columbia. There
is grave question as to how far con-
gress can go in enacting a law to gov
ern child labor within the states, but
it is believed that II the national leg
islature enacts a model law and 1t is
seen to work well within the District
It will be rapidly copied by the states,
for in such matters a good example
goes a long way.
His Warfare on Trusts.
These. briefly, are the laws which
most directly affect labor for which the
president is responsible. But there are
numerous other laws and achieve
ments which, although they affect labor
indirectly, benefit it hardly less. The
enforcement Of the antitrust law is of
incalculable benefit to labor. First, It
stops the extortion whereby these great
monopolies are able to exact unrea SON
able prices from the workingman and
thus increase his cost of living until he
has nothing left from his wages after
paying for the actual necessities of life
and, secondly, by compelling the trusts
to split up into their component parts
a variety of employers of labor are
provided instead of a single one. and
the many can not fix the price of labor
lT.,. -;
as could the single great corporation.
Then, too, the foreign relations of
this government have been conserved
in manner best calculated to pro-
mote the interests of labor. The ex-
clusion of cheap Japanese labor has
been accomplished through the enact
ment of a new treaty with Japan And
mot only has the wise diplomacy Of