The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-08-30
prime of life or the maximum Of efb

| that saps vitality and vigilance from
| the workers Is the principal cause OF
| this needless slaughter of human be-
| ings struggling for an existence.
So much for the 8-hour day. We
next come to the proposition of con.
serving life and health by means of
factory regulation and factory inspec.
ton. Much has been done In many
| states along these lines and this ac
| complishment Is due to organized la
Dor. Much Is yet to be done, and or
ganized labor intends that the work
shall be finished.
Laws regulating guards for cleaning
| of machinery were adopted by Massa-
chusetts In 1882, in New Jersey In
1884. This was almost the beginning.
AS manufacturing has developed in
the other states some protective pro-
visions have been adopted. The pres.
ent status of their provisions Is as fol-
| lows:
Twenty-four states require factories
to be so ventilated that a sufficient
amount Of air space shall be provided
for each operative.
Thirty-three states require fire es-
capes on factories and public build
ings.
Twenty-four states require guards
on dangerous machinery.
Twenty-seven states insist upon
sanitary and sufficient toilet rooms for
| the sexes.
Thirty states provide factory In
| spectors to enforce observance of the
| laws.
Seventeen states make it mandatory
for employers to report all accidents
to an authorized state official so that
| accurate vital records can be readily
obtained for the further advice and in.
formation of the people as to the
needs Of additional conservation of life
and limb. This is an especially neces-
sary provision.
Thirty-six states restrict night work
| by children.
Compromising the Manned.
Thirty-eight States have enacted
some form of employers liability law,
very few of which have been in
terpreted favorably for the workers
ed for largely because the courts have
| chung tenaciously to former prece-
| dences Of peculiar judicial reasonings,
which have at times been referred to
as the "unholy trinity" viz, "assump-
ton of risk" "eontributory negli.
gence" and "feIlow-servant" rulings,
as If these obstacles were not large
enough to Offset a workmans claim
for damages. Another method has
been devised which the courts have
duly recognized as valid and sufficient
| grounds to prevent an injured en-
ploye from obtaining an award for
| damages. This cunning device has
been to induce or coerce an employee
when arranging for employment to
sign contract "waiving his rights" to
sue for damages in case of injury dur.
ing employment.
Giving Life a Value.
Notifications of the common law
rulings of assumed risk" and "con-
tributory" to Comparative negligence"
have been adopted in several states,
| but such trifing with measures OF
such grave import is not sufficient.
Just, humane and effective legislation
must be enacted by the states-legis.
lation that is uniform and uniformly
good; effective legislation that will
| forever abolish the defense known as
fellow servant" rule, "contributory
negligence" assumption of risk" and
"waiving of rights"
Industry must bear the financial
burden Of accidents to the human be-
ing, exactly as it does now toward me-
chanical accidents, or accidents that
occur through the natural elements.
Compelling Safety Appliances.
The next in Importance are safety
appliance laws, enacted by the con-
gress for the purpose of conserving
| life on the interstate railroads of the
United States. Every one of these
laws is monument to the everlasting
credit Of organized labor.
This complication of life-saving and
| life-preserving legislation enacted by
the state legislatures and the United
States congress at the behest of the
organizations Of labor is far from be.
| ing complete record, but it is suffi-
Gent at this time to enthuse the work
ers and to convince the most skeptical
as to the great good which has been
accomplished for all Iabor-unorgan-
lied as well as organized-and partic-
ularly for that part of society some
times defined as the general public.
who have been safeguarded while
| travelling on railroads, while resting
in hotels, amused in theaters, or when
coming in contact with those who
might disseminate disease. propagated
in workshops or factories that would
remain insanitary end dangerous If 1t
had not been for the vigilance, fidelity
and foresight Of the organized work.
ers.
So We feel cheered on this Labor
Day. We even feel like laying aside
the hardness that is acquired in the
course of many battles against big
odds and allowing tha sentimental