The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-08-06
FRANK E. HOWE. Editor and Put
BENNINGTON, VT, AUGUST 6. 1sl
LABOR LEGISLATION

a general feeling that labor legisla-
ton will be one of the chief features
of legislation at Montpelier this fall
On this issue the Republicans are
particularly fortunate in that they
have taken a much better stand than
either the Democrats or the new par
ty and one that has the merit of be-
ing the best thing for the working
men and at the same time for en-
ployers.
The Republican state convention
declared for a workmen's compensa-
ton law which is the fairest and most
advanced step in labor legislation
that can be taken.
Employers liability laws are in
nearly all cases a humbug and a de-
fusion. They give an injured EN-
ploye or his dependents a lawsuit
against his employer and carefully
prepared statistics show that the re-
suit of this litigation is that over 20
per cent of the amounts recovered
are eaten up in court expenses and
lawyers fees. On the other hand an
employer is compelled to carry Ii
ability insurance or be prepared to
defend suits and either is expensive
and not beneficial to either the EN-
ployed or the employer.
Compare these things with the
operation of a workmen's compensa-
ton act. Under such an act an in
jured employee draws his regular
wages as long as he is laid up and in
addition gets his doctors bills and
other expenses incident to his injury
paid In case he is killed his widow
or other dependents draw immediate
y his funeral expenses and his wages
for three years. And the best fea-
ture is that these things come with
out lawsuit and without dollar of
expense.
The employer is equally fortunate
and saves money every year under a
workmens compensation act He
doesn't stand alone. out is listed in
a class with all others in the state in
the same or similar lines of manu-
featuring They don't have to de-
fend lawsuits and they don't lave to
carry liability insurance. Each class
of manufacturers pays through a
state department, where business is
done at cost and not at a profit, the
expense of meeting the payments re-
CURED under a workmen's compen-
sation act.
No manufactures is burdened or en-
dangered. The community of inter
est distributes the cost evenly from
year to year. In states, where a
workmen's compensation act has
been tried. 1t has been found to cost
most manufacturers considerably less
than it does now to carry liability in
surance. In only the more dangerous
trades like the manufacture of ex-
plosives is the cost more.
At the last session of the legisla-
ture of the state of Washington a
workmen's compensation act was put
in force and has now been in effect a
little more than a year Howard l..
Hindley, formerly editor of the Rut-
land Herald and prominently connect
ed with the Clement campaign Of
1906, in a personal letter to the editor
of The Banner says:
81 think | can safely say that the
system of workmen's compensation
is the solution of the relation between
employer and employee usually aimed
at by employers liability legislation.
We have absolutely shut of damage
suits and very largely done away with
litigation along these lines"
Mr. Hindley is the secretary of the
Washington insurance commission and
so is in a position to form an intelli-
gent opinion. Vermont should enact
workmen's compensation system at
the earliest opportunity and the Re
publican party is the only one that
has taken a decisive step in that di-
rection. Both working men and en-
ployers should bear this in mind as
the coming state election will soon
be here.
The Democrats and so called Pro
gressives are in no sense progressive
or up to date. even in trying to foist
an employers liability law upon the
workmen and employers of the state.
Such a law gives the employer a ser
les of lawsuits or a heavy drain of
insurance fees or both and 1t gives
the workman absolutely nothing
What he ought to get merely goes in
to court expenses. and his children
are in danger Of the poorhouse just
the same.
Whatever our differences on other
questions We ought to all pull togeth-
er in behalf Of a workmen's cOmpen-
sation system for Vermont