Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1912-05-03
Gov, WILSON AND
LAWS FOR LABOR
B al Service He Rendered to
New Jersey Workers
FOUGHT BY INSURANCE MEN
They Threatened to Raise All Their
Rates e Employers Liability Law
Wore Passed, but Became Quiet at
Sacramento ,Cal.) Union.l

sacramento Cali Union.I
When Woodrow Wilson became gov
eruor OF New Jersey he found that
wealthy employers had been given the
laws they desired regardless OF the
welfare OF the thousands of men. wo'
men and children III their payrolls.
He found that In the factories of the
state scores had been killed or MAIN
cd for life and hat there was abso-
Iutely no provision for the protection
Of the families OF those w~Orkingmen
engaged In hazardous occupations. He
found that the bosses had been carry
Ing out the wishes OF the interests.
from which they had obtained cam
pai@n contributions.
That was the situation in corrupt
New Jersey. where the conditions OF
labor had been VIGOROUSLY oppressive
and seemingly hopeless for a genera.
ton. But Governor Wilson determin
ell TO change il and with his custom
AIRY vigor tackled the problem.
Employers Liability Law.
One OF the reformS he effected was
the enactment of II strong employers
liability law. But for this he had to
fight with the same grim and un
swerving purpose hat had obtained
the Geran primary election law. After
the bill had beer Introduced IN the leg
islNture and became known as one of
the governors measures the insurance
companies SEN representatives to the
capitol and through them threatened
repriSal IF YOU enact such u law
Wen raise the rates on ali Insurance
throughout the state Wen pile them
up on cvrrviody." they said. But the
bluff didn't work
Every well. gentlemen. as you
please" replied Governor Wilson. but
remember that if you try anything OF
that kind It may he necessary for VA
10 establish system of state insur
ancc." After that the insurance com
panies decided that silence was the
better part of wisdom.
The employers liability law was
passed. and IN apparently fair statute
IT Is, essentially fair to the employer
as well as to the employee. for Wood
row Wilson is not a ~demagogue who
plays for labOr's support. He merely
~ ~ j''NNhc 10 tue WHOM pcOtlle
within the authority OF his office.
Prevents Long Litigation.
The law preScribes the liability of an
employer To make compensation for in
juries sustained by an employee in the
course OF employment 1t establishes
an elective schedule OF payment and
strictly regulates the procedure for de
fnrtntpip,r h.. li.Ijlity and
ton. 1t relieves an employee who is
injured Of the necessity of instituting
suit to obtain damages by providing
a definite : hodule covering the differ
ent Glasses Of injuries and fixing the
employers liability for each.
Employers now regard the iaw as
fair because under it they can calcu.
late with reasonable certainty what
their maximum liability for any one
year will be instead OF leaving this to
be determined by jurors. Employees
are greatly benefited by 1t because in
case OF accident it secures to them
without della! Il fixed income at q time
when money il most needed and be.
cause IL avoids long drawn out litiga-
ton. with it's attendant expense and
suffering.
Real Service to Labor.
Governor Wilson meant it for both.
He supplemented it shortly with a law
compelling the erection OF fire escapes
on all factories and buildings housing
a number q! emplOyees-not one or two
spider ladders. but equipment sutfi-
Client to prevent Il recurrence in New
Jersey OF the horrors that had shocked
featuring cities
such laws are worth something to
labor They reflect the opinion Of a
man who h"ti"Nr> III the honesty of la. |
DOr's purpose to the extent hat he
holds labor ahove seeking selfish or
undue advantage AS they were en-
acted they represented steps in vii |
on's restoration Of New Jerseys gov |
eiiiiuent {" he people They wrote !
genuine reforms into the statute books |
Lakewood ~ M Progress: 1T is a
significant fact that about three
fourtlIs OF the suinit democratic and
progressive news tIcrS OF the country
are for Wno.irUN Wilson. and all OF
the Republican papers are doing every
thing in their power "a defeat his nom
nation for th" presidency This goes
10 show who the iJrfnOr rats want and
whom the lt+l,ub leans fear"
COMMISSIONERS MEETING