The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-04-26

Modern cs~sitions--Lssal Machinery
Simplifed.
As the result of the personal interest
If President Taft In all matters AT
fecting the workingmen Of the country.
congress has before It today COM
prehensive bill on employers liability
and work mems compensation which Is
recognized as one Of the most progress
sive Of the many achievements Of the
Taft administration. The bill was re-
ported by a commission appointed by
President Taft pursuant to Joint res
olution OF congress passed on June %.
1910, and 1t was recently sent to con-
gress by the president, accompanied
with message recommending its pas
sage. As drafted the measure pro-
vides an exclusive remedy and COM
pensation for accidental injuries re-
sulting In disabilities or death to en-
pl0yees OF common carriers engaged
In interstate or foreign commerce or
in the District Of Columbia.
This comprehensive legislation Is the
direct outcome Of the general unsatis-
factOriness Of labor legislation passed
by congress In recent years and is H.
Ing an admitted evil by painstaking
investigation followed by carefully
considered laws. AS is well known, the
first employers liability law passed in
the last administration was declared
unconstitutional by the courts. A new
law to take its place was passed IN
der this administration, but it was gen.
orally understood at the time that the
comprehensive measure now before
congress was to follow. both rs to
liability and compensation, as soon es
the necessary investigation into the
subject could be made. The result is
that the workingmen Of the United
States, so far rs they can he reached
by federal law. will soon he working
under one of the most enlightened la
Dor laws on record.
Provision is made in the BILL as draft
cd tentatively. chat every common car
rier engaged in interstate or foreign
commerce shall pay compensations In
the amounts specified In the bill to any
of its employees who sustains personal
injury by accident arising out of and
in the course Of his employment and
resulting In his disability or to his de-
pendents in case of death.
1t is provided in the bill that the in
jured employee shall have medical at
tendance and surgical aid when nee
essary the last mentioned being limit
ed to $500. The monthly wagc1 Of IN
employee are deemed to be twenty six
times the established days pay. and
$50 Is the minimum monthly wage pay
ment 1t is also provided that all com
pensation shall be paid monthly unless
computed to lump sum.
Death benefits are provided For at
specific percentage of the mans wages
to be paid to the widow with ali in
crease In the amount when there are
dependent chi Gren. and IL case OF no
dependents the payment of the burial
expenses IL required. The matter of
personal injury compensation Is also
covered in fair AND equital:' pTo
vision.
Another feature Of the proposed act
Is clear definition Of the term de
pendent" as we'll as Of what const-
trtes an "injury' and an employee"
Legal complications are provided for.
reports OF accidents. payments and
operations under tho law to the inter-
state commerce commission are re-
;s, al hot ha
posed act shall take effect on July I,
1912 and cited as 1.-The federal com
pensation act Of 1912"
In it's Investigations Of this subject
the commission determined Mt the out
set that In substance the doctrines Of
the common law originating under COM
paratively simple conditions were un
just as applied to the complex relations
Of master and servant. The use of
complicated machinery, steam and cleo.
tricity has had the effect of increasing
the deplorable antagonism between
employer and employee and often
giving few injured employees large
and frequently extravagant damages.
while the great majority have been left
10 bear the entire burden without any
recompense whatever.
Al, the time of the adoption Of the
common law rules Of liability indus
trial conditions were radically differ
ent from those OF today. The number
Of employees was smaller because
there were few big industrial plants.
The business carried on was small In
extent, the appliances used in the
work consisted largely Of hand tools.
while the power was simple In char
meter. with little danger to the en-
ployee. Under such conditions the
rules of common law originated
Today there Is vast difference
President Taft. in the message which
transmitted the report OF the commits
sion to congress, aptly says, in speak
ing Of the proposed bill. that It Is ore
Of the great steps OF progress toward
a satisfactory solution of an important
phase OF the controversies between EN-
ployers and employees that have bee,
proposed within thu last two or thre
decades The Gil ru'ns OF liability u
der the COMMON law were adapted to
die'rrr~t ere ard condition and we