Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-12
BY CHARLES D. HILLES.
Chairman Republican National Com.
mittee.

! Chairman Republican National Com
mittee.
NEW YORK. Aug. 12.-President
Taft will be reelected because he has
never failed to prove his friendship for
labor. When he was first nominated
! In 1908. his. enemies said he could not
be elected because as a Judge on the
| bench he had rendered certain deci-
sions against labor leaders. The presi-
| dent met the issue squarely Just a he
does all others. He did not deny; he
did not finch. He told the exact truth
! to the great audiences of labor men
who came to hear him. What was the
result? Their animoslty turned to re-
speCt and admiration, and it was large
! ly the labor vote which elected Mr.
Taft president. He win get that vote
! this year. and ii will do its fun part in
electing him president, for labor is fair
1t knows what the square deal is, and
when 1t comes to examine Nj. Taft
record it will find that he has made
good his word and has procured the
enactment of more good labor legisla-
ton than any of his predecessors
President Taft has procured for the
workingman who is injured while
working on an interstate rail ,ay the
right to have his widow and children
sue to recover damages should he die
before such suit was begun or COM
pIetcd. He has procured from congress
larger authority for the interstate COM
merce commission to compel RAILWAYS
to use safety appliances for the proteC-
ton of employees. He has procured
an amendment to the law making the
frequent inspection Of boilers compul-
sorry and ,forbidding the use of any boil
er found defective. He has secured the
esta Enlistment of a bureau of mines.
which is devotins its chief energies to
improving mine conditions in the in
terest of the safety Of the miners. to
! teaching the best methods Of rescue
5000 miners are being trained in res
cue work-to intoxicating the use Of the
safest explosives and the most APP
! proved appliances and to he mainte-
nance of seven Pullman cars. each with
a rescue corps, to so TO tho actual as
sistance of entombed miners
Chidren's Labor Bureau
! He has procured the establishment
of a chidren's labor bureau for the
protection Of children Who are Obliged
to work and the improvement of the
conditions under which they work Bat.
above all, he has sent 10 congress. and
it is in a fair way to become law. an
employers liability law which will gain
g.,
the performance of his duty not only
the most generous possible compensa-
ton for injuries he receives which
wipes out the pernicious doctrine OF
"cOntributory negligence" but which
will save to such employ'ee all the vast
sum he is now obliged TO spend for law
yers and court costs, too often half oI
more of the total damages he receives
for his injury.
This measure has been pronounced
by all who have studied it-except those
lawyers who will lose their fees-the
most generous. humane and progress
/ sive piece of la Dor Legislation fathered
| by any administration in the history Of
the country. 1t would have been a
law by now had there not been a po-
litical division between the two houses
of congress. 1t is so essentially a Taft
measure that the Democrats probab bly,
will not permit it to become a law I'M
til after the election, but its ultimate
enactment is assured.
Another important progressive meas
ure which is still in the process Of en-
actment, but for which Mr. Taft de-
! serves the credit, is a model child labor
law for the District Of Columbia, There
is grave question as to how far con-
gress can go in enacting law to gov
fern child labor within the states. but
it is believed that if the national leg
| iSIature enacts model law and il is
seen to work well within the District
it will be rapidly copied by the states,
J for in such matters good example
goes a long way.
His Warfare on Trusts.
These, briefly, are the laws which
most directly affect labor for which the
president is responsible. But there are
numerous other Iaws and achieve
ments which. although they affect labor
indirectly, benefit ii. hardly less. The
enforcement of the antitrust law is of
| inCalcuabe benefit to labor, First It