The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-06-13

cause OF the knowledge that the
more accidents, the greater would be
his share of payments; that this
knowledge would make each employee
exercise a supervisory care over his
fellow employees; and that a sharing
In the responsibility would create a
greater feeling of independence on
the part of employees, the SUPPOSE
ton being that to receive compensa-
ton from fund to which they had
not contributed would engender a
feeling of being recipient OF charity,
All of these specious defenses for the
plan fall flat in the fact that under no
plan yet adopted does the injured
workman receive an amount above
sixty-f1ve per cen. of his wages during
the period of his disability. thus al
ready, penalizing his misfortune or per-
haps trivial forgetfulness, or oversight.
Or lack of care, to sum equal to
more than third of his earning ca
pacity. If this does not induce care,
then the payment Of an additional
small amount into compensation fund
will never add sufficient incentive for
care. Again, of the old employers de-
lenses, none was more harsh in it's
operation than the fellow-servant rule
under which most careful employee
had to assume all the risk of negli-
gent and even wilfuIly negligent fellow
employees. So under the Ohio plan the
careful employe is penalized by in
creased payments to the compensa-
ton fund. Whatever plan is adopt
ed by Iowa, it should not include any
payment of any part of the laborer's
earnings into any fund, but should
provide a method under which the en-
tire compensation for personal injury
can be added to the cost of production
,of the commodity, and thus be dis
.tributed among society in accord with
their consumption of the commodities
embracing the industrial risk.
Contract Convict Labor.
ut will be recalled that during the
1900 session of the legislature, de
termined effort was made on our
part to have the state abolish the con-
tract system of employing inmates of
our penal institutions. Our reasons
for the abolition were criticised in
and out of season. The state hoard Of
control lined up solidly with the prison.
labor contractors, and many public
men were misled, both as to our posi-,
ton, the best interests of the state
and the possible reformation of in.
mates not inherently criminal. We
then favored the state-use plan and
designated the contract system as q
disgrace to the management of the
Fort Madison penitentiary and sub
sequent controversy between the gov
ernor and newspaper of the state. 8
commission was appointed to make ar
Investigation. This commission has
avoided the petty wrangle and has
made most remarkable report. at
Etributing the things which provoked
the original criticism altogether to thu
abominable contract system unde,
which the labor of our convicts is per
formed"
Mr.. Urick then quotes from the re
port of the commission and point.
out how closely the position of TIL,
committee. as outlined in the porto,
yof the report quoted. correspond.
with the position of the State FEEDER
fation as stated at the 1901 conven
ton of that body.
In view Of the able report of thu
commission he continues, 9Th,
question as to how long enlightened
Iowa will drift along under the pilot
age of prison contractors, and chlor
oformed public officials, is largely ;
question of public sentiment and tn,
degree of activity of our movement.
In addition to the state use plat
advocated by organized labor, th,
Iowa commission recommends farm
colonies, plan very successful,
used by number of our sister state,
and also by a few continental govern
ments, and which plan is worthy ouI
closest scrutiny both because of 1t,
healthfulness of employment, its non
competitive feature in fixing prices O
the products of free labor. and alsc
because of its tendency to change