Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-27

embittered against his employer. The
railroads themselves are put to heavy
expenses in the employment of counsel
and in other costs, including investiga-
tions by claims agents. Then, when the
employe does receive the money adjudged
to be due him, he may invest it improperly,
lose 1t all, and In a short time, II he
has been badly injured or incapacitated,
den to his labor organisation. And this
is only where the employe wins his suit.
A large number bringing suit lose through
some Of the various defenses Of the COM
mon law.
IF the employee has lost an arm or leg
he is in bad way to make living for
himself and his dependents. Under the
law we now seek to have passed the en-
ploye does not have to prove himself free
from carelessness He simply proves the
tomatically follows. Costs may be notfl-
ing or little. The only man whose feel
ings are hurt or whose pocket suffers is
the personal---very. lawyer. The railroads
and their employees will both save enor-
nous expenses now connected with suits.
So soon as the railroads understand that
they must pay and the employee that he
must accept definite compensation for in
jury, irrespective of cause. the incentive
for the distortion of facts SO prevalent
will have been removed The railroads
will gathers data regarding accidents and
seek, by Improvement In their equipment,
to diminish the number of accidents, and
there will be profound benefit in mini
mising the spirit of antagonism and the
ill-feeling engendered by the present sys-
tenn.
Inadequate verdicts Impossible.
THE employer now has hanging over
his head an indefinite liability. which
will become definite liability. Inade-
quate ,verdicts as well as excessive YER
diets in the courts willsbe no longer pos
sible. The employe gives UP the posi-
biIity Of unlimited damages in some
cases, with q doubtful and expensive
right of recovery. for compensation that
is definite and certain and reasonable In
Figures show that the railroad com
panies are paying out annually about
In suits for damages by employees and
death claims. Just how much greater
this amount is, the salaries Of claims
agents. counsel fees, etc. included, Is not
known; Under the proposed law the COM
pensation to killed and injured would be
about $15, 00O.oOO yearly.
AS the payments, however, would eK-
tend over q period of years, the roads
would save IN deferred payments to an
proxiniately $t3,UOO.0O For every dol
pay Sis. Of the tiS.soo 81 600 'ne now ~ PAID
the benef1cfaries receive perhaps not over
| 80. 25O,O0U, while under the proposed law
they would get at least $14,OU,OOO. That
would mean close to s. for every dollar
the injured and the dependents OF the
dead now receive Better relations be-
tween employers and employees will be
incalculable In value, society will be ben.
ef1ted and there will be an improvement
| In train service that will lessen dangers
to the public and to all concerned.
Court to Arrange Fees.
II do not know Of sadder thing than
strong. healthy man. with wife and lit
tie ones dependent upon his activities FOL
support, suddenly disabled for life I'm.
| der the common law his recourse IL the
| courts, where, because OF the defenses
permitted against him. he may not re.
cover q penny, and II he does recover
| half Of the amount goes for the contin.
gent fees of. lawyers and expenses. The
proposed new Law directs the courts tc
arrange the fees OF lawyers. IL legal serv.
ices are employed. Independent OF any
prior agreement
The President discusses the prope,
methods FOR distributing the compensation
to injured wofkmen, and the methods
| used in foreign countries.
Mr.. Taft strongly advocates the liberal
extension of existing laws for compensat-
Ing workmen In the government service,
These laws new apply to the bureati OF
engraving and printing, government print
ing ONCE. navy yards and arsenals river
ana harbor work and elsewhere.