The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-12-28
MINERS AGAINST
EMPLOYERS BILL
Continued from Page I.

90 to st. Paul and oppose the adop-
ton Of the law in the form it is pro-
posed by the Minnesota Employers
association. 1t is held that the bill
is manifestly unfair to a large num-
Der OF the foreign miners employed
on the iron ranges.
The committee uamed to take up
the matter are Herman Antonelli, D.
Bretto, A. Sonag,ia, and John Devy-
man. The committee will also take
up the matter with Representatives
Healy and Knapp and Senator Boyle
at once.
Austrians to Protest.
Opposition to the measure Of the
employers association is also develop
ing among + ustrfan people, and it is
reported that mass meetings are be-
ing arranged ny several Of the Cro-
tian societies to voice protest. DR..
Ver:ellini of Duluth is expected to
visit Hibbing Sunday to discuss meas
ures to fight the act. The meeting
to be held on Sunday next will con-
sist of miners from. Hibbing, CHS
holm and Virginia.
Joint meeting of all the Finnish
miners on the Vermilion and Mesaba
ranges is to be held in few. days at
which protest resolutions will be
passed. This meeting will be adj
dressed by o. J. Larson, the we'll
known Duluth attorney.
There are three features to the en-
ployers' association bill that are re-
sponsible for the strong opposition
now being manifested against it by
the miners.
The first opposition naturally arises
from the clause in the bill which re-
duces the compensation to be paid to
the dependents of miners who reside
in foreign countries. American labor
as well as foreign labor joins with
the miners in this protest.
Labor Second Objection.
The second provision which will
meet with the opposition Of all labor.
and indeed with that of all true
friends Of workingmen's compensa-
ton. enaanates from the very first
section Of the employers bill which
reads as follows:
when personal injury is caused to
an employe by accident arising out of
and in the course Of his employment,
Of which the actual or lawfully M
PUTED NEGLIGENCE OF THE EN-
PLOYER IS THE NATURAL AND
PROx1MATE CAUSE, he shall receive
compensation therefor from his en1-
ployer, provided the employee was
himself NOT WILFULLY NEGLI-
GENT AT THE TIME OF RECEIv-
ING SUCH INJURY, and the ques-
ton Of whether the enploye was will
fully negligent shall be one of fact to
be submitted to the jury, subject to
the usual powers of the court over
verdicts rendered contrary to the
evidence, or to law"
It requires but a casual reading Of
the above section to acquaint one with,
the fact that the organized employers
Of Minnesota are attempting to fasten
upon labor a workingmen's compensa-
ton law which opens wide the door
for litigation, with negligence as the
basis of recovery for accidents suf-
fered by workmen.
D., Do Away With Negligence.
The real friends Of workingmen's
compensation have been working to
get away from the consideration Of
negligence IN any form and BY either
party. If 1T IL to be considered at
all then there is no need for a work
ingmen's compensation act. ALI that
will be necessary Is to amend the
present law and either modify or
abrogate the rules of negligence long
ago made by the courts. - -, $E.>,
2, The third objection to the employ
ers' bill arises from their. attempt to
fasten upon labor portion Of the
financial burden for carrying insur-
ance under q workinxmen's compen-
satton act. All labor, foreign and
native. unite in declaring that Indus
try. should bear the whole financial
burden, and that no part thereof
should be exacted from the wages 81
labor s ..5 So
The position OF labor on this point