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


NEW YORK, Aug. 12.-President
Taft will be e-elected because he has
never failed to prove his friendship for
labor When he was first nominated,
in 1908. his enemies said he could net
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 as 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 will get that vote
this year, and it will do it's full part in
electing him president, for labor is fair.
1t knows what the square deal is. and
when it comes to examine Mr.. Taft's
record it will find that he has made
good his word and has procured the
enactment of more good labor legsla-
ton than any of his predecessors.
President Taft has procured for the
workingman who is injured while
working on an interstate railway the
right to have his widow and children
sue to recover damages should he die
before such suit was begun or COM
pleted. 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
establishment of a bureau OF mines,
which is devoting it's 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 ap-
proved appliances and to the mainte-
nance of seven Pullman cars each with
a rescue corps to go to the actual as
sstance 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. But,
above all, he has sent to congress, and
it is in a fair way to become a law, an
employers ability law which will gain
for the workingman who is injured in
the performance of his duty not only
the most generous possible compensa-
La 4s,l,
wipes out the pernicious doctrine of
"contributory negligence" but which
will save to such employee all the vast
sum he is now obliged 20 spend for law
yers and court costs, too often half or
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 labor 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-
ltical division between the two houses
of congress. 1t is so essentially Taft
measure that the Democrats probably
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 a law to gov
ern child labor within the states, but
it is believed that if the national leg
islature enacts model law and it is
seen to work well within the District
it will be rapidly copied by the states,
for in such matters a 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 laws and achieve
ments which, although they affect labor
indirectly, benefit it hardly less. The
enforcement of the antitrust law is of
incalcuable benefit to labor First, 1t
stops the extortion whereby these great
monopolies are able to exact unrea SON.
able prices from the workingman and
thus increase his cost of living until he
has nothing left from his wages after
paying for the actual necessities of life.
and, secondly by compelling the trusts
to split up into their component parts
a variety of employers of labor are
provided instead of a single one, and
the many can not fix the price of labor
or enforce arbitrary and unjust rules
as could the single great corporation
Then, too, the foreign relations of
this government have been conserved
in manner best calculated to pro-
mote the interests of labor. The ex-
clusion of cheap japanese labor has
been accomplished through the enact
ment of new treaty with Japan. And
not only has the wise dinlnmacN of