The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-13
LABOR UNION NOTES
OF WIDE INTEREST
Compensation Method of Attending to
Accident Cases Is Described and
Commended by Core
spondent.


Liability legislation means what2 II
means the same thing as laying down
rules to govern a fight. That is abso-
lutely what it means, and no man can
deny it. The fight is between the wild
ows and orphans and the large corpora
tions. II widow is lucky, she viii win
and if she is unlucky, she will lose.
The fact that she has a right to sue
will be small consolation to her ana
her children if she is not able to collect
anything. 1t is a method of absolute
savagery and barbarianism, with the
weakest among us pitted against the
strongest corporations in the world.
The compensation method means that
the widows and orphans and the injured
mem will be taken care of. That is a
sane, civilized method OF settling mat
tiers of that kind. 1t may not be as
full and complete as it should be, it
may not give us all we are entitled to,
but the basis is laid for settling the dis.
pute. 1t will mean that if we have the
right kind of compensation laws, in the
future when a man is killed or injured,
without going to court at all, provision
will be made for taking care of the
widow and orphans If he is killed, and
taking care of the man himself if he IS
injured We know the loss of a man
who has been guilty of some act OF care
lessness win fall with as crushing
weight ON the widow and orphans as
though he were in no way responsible for
the accident. We believe when a man
is working in the armies of peace, when
he is producing something all the people
need and use, if he is killed, his wife
and children should be provided for I'M
til they are able to take care of them.
selves, and if he is injured he should be
cared for. This is the fundamental idea
We say there is no humane, broad
minded man who understands what he
is talking about, who will hesitate as
between the choice of employers liabil-
ity and workmen's compensation acts.
g
Mr.. Leslie Shaw, for four years gov
ernor of Iowa, erstwhile secretary OF
the United States treasury, chief stump
orator of the Republican party and
many years a Sunday school superin-
tendent and finally chairman of the
American Fibre Reed company, has inst
given to the world a prospectus of this
company. In it he says, among other
things: "The Fibre Reed company's fac.
tories are located inside prison walls.
with 500 prisoners under contract in
Maine, Illinois and Kentucky. Our pris-
on contracts are made for eight years.
We pay for our labor So cents per man
per day. Our competitors, who employ
free labor, pay an average of 81 per
days." and, gentle reader, notice this
point: "There are no strikes or labor
troubles in prison" This and much more
from the gifted Mr. Shaw's prospectus
should thoroughly arouse every man and
woman who purchases brooms to demand
the label of the broom makers and also
on all goods whose composition is made
up of that material.
{.
Lawrence, Mass, painters and paper
hangers have received an increase of 2j
cents per day without strike
A spool of thread is such common
necessity that it comes into a home and
disappears by use without much thought
or notice Still the j. & p. Coates com
pany declared a dividend for the year
1911 of 35 per cent. The paid-up capital
is about $50,0O0,000, and its surplus
fund, after paying such dividends, is
s4l 100000. The stock is quoted at $40,