The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-08-24
viii appeal strongest to the unthink-

will appeal strongest to the unthink-
ing workman. NJ ;$5 s \
However, he still insists that em-
ployes should bear a financial contti-
button to the fund out Of which COM
pensation should be paid for indus
trial accidents. This principle Is one
that labor will never concede 1t
would rather tolerate existing wrongs
still further than to admit of a. wrong
principle now in creating a new sys-
tenn. ..> Us
Mr.. Gillette's act is not compulsory,
but elective. Employers may decide
for themselves whether or not they
wish to come under workingmen's
compensation act or the common law.
However, If an employer does not
choose to come under workmens
compensation and decides to remain
under the old law, he cannot set up
the defenses of negligence that he
now is able to do.
Upon the surface this seems fair,
but in practice it proved, wherever
1t has been tried, to work an injus-
tice upon the workman.
Mr.. Gillette could not get away
from expressing his bitterness against
officials of labor organizations. He
charged that Tabor leaders were
prompted in their attitude toward GER
tain phases Of the question, of work.
mems compensation because of their
fear of losing their salaries in la
Dor organizations -
Ungenerous Attack by Gillette.
He might have referred to Mr.. NC
Even, the Observation-Disclosures Of the
State, Federation of. Labor, who
draws a.; salary sof $50 month. for
the services he performs for that
organization and all Of which he pays
out to a clerk and stenographer, get
ting nothing for himself. e
He also condemned the factory in
spectors of Minnesota and said that
the principal qualifications for ap-
pointment seemed to be leadership
In the c1garmakers' union.'' AS this
may or may not be true, for there are,
no factory inspectors now who are
c1garmakers by trade, but there were
some in the past, yet the record Of
the Bureau of Labor of Minnesota
shows that the ablest, the most thor
ough, the most conscientious, the
most interested and by far the best
all-around factory inspectors this
state ever had were members Of the
Cigarmakers' union:
Mr.. Gillette gained nothing for his
side of the question by his vicious
attacks upon the men who have been
chosen to represent the workingmen
OF Minnesota in helping to work out a
proper compensation act. If he were
as big man as he is bitter in his
opposition to union workmen, we
| would have had a workingmen's COM
| pensation act two years ago.
Mercer Made Good.
H. V. Mercer stands out today as
the greatest American lawyer on
| workingmen's compensation and is so
| recognized by the members of the bar
everywhere, who have given this
| question any thought. He has given
| the employe no advantage over the
| employer, nor on the other hand has
| he given the employer any advantage
over the laborer. If he were an at
! torney who could be used the en-
| ployers of this state, as represented
by such men as G. NJ. Gillette, would
! be singing his praises to the skies.
He came out of the Minnesota State
Bar association convention the big
! gest man in it. Lawyers who at first
doubted his ability, now admire him.
A year ago he forced his way into
the State Bar association convention
at Duluth, when the attorney for the
| Minnesota Employers association was
| president of the State Bar association.
Every stone has been cast in his way
to block the progress of his honest
purpose, but he pursued his course
with logged determination and last
| Wednesday, before the convention adj
! journed, he was honored with. the
1 vice presidency Of the Minnesota
State Bar assocition.
| It is gratifying to us as it must be
! to him to know that the members Of
his profession are beginning to recog-
nize the value Of the patriotic serv-
ices he is rendering, not to the en-
ployers nor to the employees. but to
all the people Of the great state of
Minnesota. 5.