The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-05-02
Gov. WILSON AND
LAWS FOR LADoa
Real Service He Rendered to
New Jersey Workers.
FOUGHT BY INSURANCE Men
They Threatened to Raise All Their
Rates Il Employers Liability Law
Were Passed, but Became Quiet at
Hint of State Offering Indemnity.
[sacramentc tCal., Union

[Sacramentc tCal.J Union.i
When Woodrow Wilson became gov
ernor of New Jersey he found that
wealthy employers had been given the
laws they desired regardless of the
welfare of the thousands of men. wd-
men and children on their payrolls.
He found that in the factories of the
state scores had been killed or MAIN
ed for life and that there was ahSo-
lutely no provision for the protection
of the families of those workingmen
engaged in hazardous occupations. Il"
found that The bosses had been carry
ing out the wishes of the interests
from which they had obtained can
paign contributions.
That was the situation in corrupt
New Jersey. where the conditions OF
labor had been VIGOROUSLY oppressive
and seemingly hopeless for a genera
ton. But Governor Wilson determn
ed to change it and with his custom
airy 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
swerving 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
the governors measures the Insurance
companies sent representatives to the
capitol and through them threatened
reprisal 'If you enact such law
we'll raise the rates on all Insurance
throughout the state. Well pile them
up on everybody" they said. But the
bluff didn't work.
Every 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 a system of state insur-
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 who
plays for labors support He merely
believes in justice to the whole people
within the authority of his office.
Prevents Long Litigation.
The law prescribes the liability of an
employer to make compensation for in
juries sustained by an employee in the
course of employment 1t establishes
an elective schedule of payment and
strictly regulates the procedure for de
termining the liability and compensa-
ton. 1t 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 tC
be determined by jurors. Employees
are greatly benefited by it because in
case of accident it secures to then
without delay a fixed income at time
when money is most needed and be
cause it avoids long drawn out htiga
ton, with its attendant expense ana
suffering.
Real Service to Labor.
Governor Wilson meant it for both
He supplemented it shortly with Law
compelling the erection of fire escape
on all factories and buildings housin
number of employees-not one or tw
spider ladders, but equipment sufii
cient to prevent a recurrence in NeV
Jersey of the horrors that had shocke
the people of the New England mani
featuring cities.
Such laws are worth something t
labor. They reflect the opinion of
maniwho believes in the honesty of !;
boris purpose to the extent that b
holds labor above seeking selfish {
undue advantage. AS they were Ell
acted they represented steps in Wi
sons restoration Of New Jerseys go
eminent to the people. They wrot
genuine reforms into the statute book
Lakewood IN. NJ Progress: at is
significant fact that about tire