The Brinkley argus., 1912-06-14
eOv. WILSON AND
 LAWS FOR LABOR
Real SeIyiee Ne Rendered 10
 Msw Jersey Workers
Epvsaf BY INSURANCE MEX
They 1hreatenedssto Raise All Their Rates f Employers Liability Law Wsre.<p p&ssed, but Became Quiet at HsHt Of State Offering indemnity.
Sacramento tCalD Union.l

Sacramento (Cal.) Union.l
 When Woodrow Wilson became gov ernor of New Jersey he found that wealthy employers had been givep the laws they desired regardless of the welfare of the thousands of men. wo- men and children on their payrolIs. He found that In the factories of the state scores had been killed or maim- ed for life and that there was alr,o- lutely no provision for the protection of the families of those workingnen engaged In hazardous occupations. He found that the bosses had been carry- ing out the wishes of the. interests. from which they had obtained cam palgn contributions.
 That was the situation In corrupt New Jersey. where the conditions of labor had been notoriously oppressive and seemingly hopeless for genera tion. But Governor Wilson determin- ed to change 1t and with his custom Ary vigor tackled the problem.
 Empioysrs' liability Law.
 One of the reforms be effected was the enactment of a strong employers liability law. But for this he had to fight with the same grim and un- swervlng purpose that had obtained the Geran primary election law. After the bill had been introduced in the leg isleture and became known as one of the governors measures the insurance companies sent representatives to the capitol and through them threatened reprisal. "1f you enact such law we'll raise the rates on all insurance throughout the state. We'll pile them 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 it may be necessary for us to establish 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 labor's support He merely believes in justice to the whole people within the authority of his office.
 PrsvsHte Long Litigation.
 The law sptescribes the liability of ap emplQpef to make compensation for in jys1es sustained by an employee in the course of employment It establishes an elective schedule of payment and strictly regulates the procedure for de termining the liability and compensa- ton. |. 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 tho employers liability for each.
 Employers now regard the law as fair because under 1t they can calcu- late with reasonable certainty what their maximum liability for any one year will be instead of leaving this to be detefmined by jurors. Employees arobE.eatly benefited by 1t because in <dse 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- ton. with its attendant expense and su1|ering.
 Real Service to Labor.
 Governor Wilson meant 1t for both He supplemented 1t shortly with law compelling the erection of fire escapes on ali factories and buildings housing q number of employees--not one or two spider ladders. but equipment sufti- cient to prevent . recurrence in New Jersey of the horrors that had shocked the people of the New England manni. facturing cities.
 Such laws are worth something to labor They reflect the opinion of a man who believes in the honesty or la bor's puz,sose to the extent that he holds b46bor above seeking selfish or pd0ue advantage. As they were en- acted they represented steps in Will sons restoration of New Jerseys gov ernment to .t'ls -psseie. They wrote l.>k