Sharp County record., 1912-06-07
Real Service He Rendered 10
N2H !Nsy Workers.
FOUGHT BY INSURANCE Men
They Threatened to Raise All Their
Rates Is Employers Liability Law
Were F2csed, but Became Quiet at
I4int Of Gta&e Offering Indemnity.
rSacramento (CalD Union. J


ernor 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 on their payr0llS.
lie found that in the factories Of the
state scores had been killed or moim-
ed for life and that there was 0Dso'
lutely no provision for the protection
Of the families Of those Worl&ingmen
engaged in hazardous occupations. lie
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 notoriously oppressive
and seemingly hopeless for Il gGdv1s4'
ton. But Governor Wilson determln-
cd to change it and with his custom.
ary yigor tackled the problem.
Employers Liability Law.
One Of the reforms he effected was
the enactment Of strong employers
Liability law. But for this he had to
fight with the same grim ana un-
swcrvIng purpose that had obtained
the Geran primary election law. After
the bill had been introduced In the leg.
iSlNture and became known as one Of
the governors measures the Insurance
companies sent representatives to the
capitol and through them threatened
rcprisal, "If you enact such a law
we'll raise the rates on all Insurance
throughout the state. Well pile them
up on everybody" they said. But the
bluff didn't work,
every well, gentlemen. as you
please" replied Governor Wilson, "hli
remember that If you try anything Of
that kind II rlay be necessary for us
to establish a system Of state insnr.
ance,". After that the insurance com.
panics decided that silence was the
better part OF wisdom.
The employers liability law wns
passed, and IN apparently fair statute
1t Is, essentially fair to the employer
az well as TO the employee, for Wood.
row Wilson Is not Il demNrogue who
plays for labor's support Tie merely
believes In justice TO the whole people
within the authority Of his Office.
Prevents Long Litigation.
The law prescrihcS t-c liability Of nm
employer TO make compensation for in.
jurics sustained by m employee IN the
course OF employment 1t establishes
an elective schedule Of payment and
strictly regulates the procedure for dc.
termining the liability and componsa.
tlon It relieves an employee who is
injured Of the necessity Of instltuting
suit to obtain damages by providing
definite schedule covering the differ.
ent classes Of injuries and fixing the
employers liability for each
Employers now regard the law as
fair because under 1t they can calcu
late with reasonable certainty what
their maSIlnum liability for any one
year viii be instead OF leaving this TO
be determined by Jurors Employees
are greatly benefited by 1t because In
case Of accident II secures to them
without delay Il fixed income at time
when money Is most needed and be-
cause ic avoids long drawn out ItigN.
tlon, with itS attendant expense aud
suffering. .>'",
Rss cerViee to Leser,
Governor Wilson meunt It for both
He supplemented It shortly with law
compelling the erection Of fire escapes
on all factories and buildings housing
a number Of Gmpoyees-not one or two
spider ladders, but equipment sulli,
Client to prevent recurrence In New
jersey Of the horrors chat had shocked
the people of the New England manu-
featuring cities,
Su"h laws are worth something to
labor, They reflect the opinion Of n
man who believes In the honesty Of In
boris purpose to the extent that he