Milford chronicle., 1912-02-23
DRASTIC STATUTE
TO AID WORKMEN
Taft Urges Compulsory La
billty Law.
NEGLIGENCE NO DEFENSE
Proposed Enactment Would Result In
Annual Distribution Of It5,ooo,ooo to
Railway Men or Families.

President Taft sent to congress the
report of the employers liability com
mission and the commissions proposed
employers liability and workmen S
compensation bill, accompanied by a
message urging the enactment OF the
measure, which is the most advanced
and drastic piece of liability legisla
tion yet presented.
The president sets forth that the
proposed law not only would insure to
employees of railroads engaged in in
terstate commerce quick adjustment
of their claims for damages, but also
would relieve the courts of a vast
amount of work and enable them to
administer judicial affairs with greater
despatch.
4 sincerely hope that the act will
pass" says the president Il deem it
one of the great steps OF progress to-
ward a satisfactory solution Of an i'm
portant prase Of the controversies be-
tween employer and employe that has
beer proposed within the last two or
thr decades"
President Taft then alludes to the
alleged iniquities attending personal
injury litigation He declares that per-
jured testimony, emotional juries and
badly constructed laws limiting liza
bility have tended to hamper the ad-
ministration of exact justice, while the
heavy expense of litigation has rem
dered it almost impossible for the
poor man to command his rights.
IN the bill submitted the commits
sion eliminates the common law doc
trine of negligence with what it char
acterizes as the unjust defenses of as
sumption of risk, fellow servants
fault and contributOry negl' gence.
Compensation with a general basis Of
an equivalent to one-half wa YES is to
be paid in every case, except where
the injury or death is caused by the
wilful intention OF the employe to in
jure himself or another, or in case Of
intoXication on duty.
The combined railroad companies Of
the country are paying out to heir en-
ployes for accidents, in settlements
and judgments, approximately S10,-
085,000, and the proposed law, as
nearly as the commission can esd-
mate it, would raise this by % per
cent. Figuring on the periodical pay
ments extended over term of years
and capitalized at 5 per cent, the com
mission points out that the total re
ceived by the benefciaries would
reach an aggregate of $15,OoO,OOO an
nually.
The bill declares that it is the pol
icy of congress to consider the burden
of payments for personal injuries as an
element of the cost of transportation,
and directs the interstate commerce
commission to recognize and give eff
feet to this policy
The bill would provide that every
common carrier engaged in interstate
OF foreign commerce by railroad shall
pay compensation to any emDloye who
sustains personal injury in line of
duty or to his dependents in case Of
his death. It makes the remedy ex-
elusive by reason of the compensation
being complete satisfaction. It abo- |
ishes all existing common law and |
statutory remedies, and applies TO all !
railroads, in the District Of Columbia |
as well
1t would exclude from compensation |
the first fourteen calendar days, ex-
cept that the employer is to furnish |
all necessary medical and surgical |
aid. including hospital services, and is
to continue to so furnish after the |
fourteen days under specific provis-
ions.