The Brinkley argus., 1912-05-24
55,OV. M!LSON hHD
 LAWS FOR LABOR
RaaI SHycs As Ranserld b
 A1H J3lscy Workers.
FOUGHT B, INSURANCE aEA
They Threatened to Raise All Their Rates # Employers LiabiIity Law Were Passed, but Became Quiet at Flint of Ssaso Offering Indemnify.
fsacranen.o tcal., Union ]

Sacramento tCal.J Union 1 When Woodrow Wilson became gov error of New Jersey he found that wealthy employers had been given the l laws they desired regardless of the | v-elfare of the thousands of men. Wo- men and children on their rayrolls. lie found that in the factories of the state scores had been killed or mainl- 1 el for life and that there was abs0- lutcly no provision for the protection ! of the families of those wOrkingmen engaged in hazardous occupations He found that the bosses had been carry- l iag out the wishes of the interests. from which they had obtained cam paign contributions.
 That was the situation in corrupt l New Jersec. where the conditions CT laior had been notorioHsly oppressive snd seemingly hopeless for general l ton. But Governor Wilson dcterlr1in- cd to change it and with his custom Rry vigor tackled the problem. Employers Liability Law.
 One of the reforms he effected was the enactment of strong employers liability law. But for this he had to fight with the same grim and un- swerying purpose that had obtained the Geran primary election law. After ! the bill had been introduced In the leg- islature and became known as one of tho governors measures the insurance companies sent representatives to the capitol and through them threatened reprisal "If you enact sIch law we'll raise the rates on all insurance throughout the state We'll nilc thern up on everybody" they said. But the bluff didn't work
 "very well. gentlemen. as you please" replied Governor Wilson. but remember that if you try anything of that kind 1t may be necessary for us to establish system of state lnsnr- ance'' After that the insurance com panies decided that silence was .the better part of wisdom.
 The employers liability law was passed. and an apparently fair statute 1t is. essentially fair to the employer as well as to the employee. for Wood ] row Wilson Is not demagogue whD plays for labors support He merely believes In Justice to the whole people within the authority of his office.
 Prevents Long Litigation.
 The law nrescribes the liability Of an employer to make coinpensntien for in. juries sustained by an employee in the course of employment IL establishes tsan elective schedule Of rarmcnt- and strictly regulates the procedure for de termining the liability and compensa- tion. Ii relieves an employee who is injured of the necessity of instituting suit to obtain damages by providing a definite schedule covering the differ ent classes of injuries and fixing the employers liability for each.
 Employers now regard the law as fair because under it they can calcu late with reasonable certainty what their maximum liability for any one year will be instead of leaving this to be determined by jurors. Employees are greatly benefited by 1t because in case of accident 1t secures to them without delay fixed income at time when money is most needed and be cause it avoids long drawn out litiga- tion. with it's attendant expense and suffering.
 Real Service to Labor.
 Governor Wilson meant 1t for both He supplemented it shortly with law compelling the erection of fire escapes on all factories and buildings housing number of empoyees-n not one or two spider ladders. but equipment snfti- cient to prevent recurrence in New Jersey of the horrors that had shocked the people of the New England manu Recurring cities.
 Such laws are worth something to labor. They reflect the opinion of 8pan who believes in the honesty of la-
 ITS purpose to the extent that he
 is labor above seeking selfish or
 e advantage. As they were ell
 they represented steps in Vii
 estoration of New Jerseys gov.
 to the people They wrote