Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-12-07

alton. uncertain and tardy in provid-
ing relief and has created and multi
plies bitterness between employer and
employee because of the injustice which
the one feels and the wasteful pecuni-
airy burden which the other is com
PEELED to assume.
LAS I define these systems in terms
of their practical operation in this
country and Europe, it must be OBJ
served that there is no legal relation
between the two. The new system
is offered for a substitute for and not
as an amendment of the old.
] do not understand that workmen's
compensation falls under that general
division of law that deals with torts
or wrongs. It rather falls under that
general division of law that deals with
contracts. Nor does It undertake to
say that the employer shall provide
insurance for the employee as a part
of the contract of employment, and
thus undertake to write a term into
the labor contract against the wish of
either the employer or employee. II
does not I'm other words. interfere
with the privity Of Relationship be-
tween employer and employee in the
making of the contract. They agree
upon the number of hours the wages
and the conditions of labor, bat at
this point the State steps in, as it
always has where the public interest
/ in affected, and declares on account
Of the grave relation between work
injuries aud the social welfare. the
State requires both the employer aud
emplOye to make a contribution, the
one of his private property, the other
of his private rights in the public in
terest The liability of the employer
b is lessened in each particular case.
while the emplOye Is made certain of
substantial relief I'm every case of in
jury without regard TO his fault The
social friction between these two
classes is lessened, the expense Of
operating law courts TO adjust person
al claims is diminished, the problem
of providing for those made dependent
by the death or disability through
work accidents is met, and there is
thus an economic REIMBURSEMENT OF the
relations between employer and en-
ploye indicated by the public inter-
est thus protected
But if such "A theory is to be iustl-
J fed i'm its exercise it must be upon the
ground that it is good for and shall be
applied to all wOrkmen and not few,
and to all employers and not few
I for there is no reason why any class of
employers should be seized upon for
the purpose of social experiment nor
why. if the change is beneficial it
should be denied to any body of work
men exposed to the hazards of mod
ern employment Workmens cOmpen-
sation should be compulsory on the
one hand and exclusive of any other
remedy on the other It must provide
a speedy, inexpensive and just method
of administration, and since the pre-.
ventiOn of all forms of accident is
more important than their relief. any
system of compensation should be
interwoven with a scientific system for
the prevention of avertable accidents
Any law must be founded upon careful
preliminary investigation, with proper
provision for the continuous acquisi
ton and renewal of vital statistics
without which such a measure canno
be successfully administered, and
finally, its administration must be il
the hands of trained and experience,
men,"