Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-08-30

TO be SO ventilated that a suHclenl
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
l1ws.
Seventeen states make 1t 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.
Compensating 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
by the courts. This is to be account
ed for largely because the courts have
chung t~enaciously to former prece-
dences of peculiar judicial ~reasonings,
which have at times been referred to
as the "unholy trinity" viz, "assump-
ton Of risk" "co%ntributory negli-
gence" and 'fellow-servant' rulings.
As n eaese obstacles were not large
enough to offset a>workman's 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 employe
when arranging for employment to
sign a contract "waiving his rights" to
sae .or 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 hat will
forever abolish the defense known as
fellow servant" rule, "contributory
negligence" assumption of risk" and
waving of rights"
Industry must bear the financial
burden of accidents to the human be-
ing, exactly as it does now toward me-
Ychanical accidents, or accidents that
occur through the natural elements.
Compelling Safety Appliances.
The Eext in importance are safety
appliance laws, enacted by he con-
gress for the purpose of conserving
life on the interstate railroads of the
United States. Every one of these
laws is a 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 a complete record, but 1T is sufii-
cient at this time to enthdse the work
ers and to convince the most skeptical
as to the great good which has beer
accomplished for all labor-unorgan-
lied as well as organiZed-and partic-
ularly for that part of society some
times defined as the general public,
who nave 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 and dangerous if it
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 the sentimental
| sides Of our natures to show them
selves. We feel like talking Of our
women and children, and the battle
organized labor is waging to make
them comfortable at their work and
healthy in their homes. We want to
| cite the human suffering that the or
ganized workers have been able to
abolish, and to pledge ourselves anew
TO a continued battle to bring decent
working hours and conditions into
those dark places of the nation that
are still its most crying disgrace. And,
/ withal. we are sanguine of a day that
is coming when all working people
NAV perform their tasks with the sat
isfaction that a happier life is posi-
BILE to them. The progress has been
such that there is occasion for hope
fulness.
elM~AAmyae~