The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1912-05-10
coy. WILSON AND
LAWS FOR LABOR
Real Service He Rendered to
New Jersey Workers
FOUGHT BY INSURANCE MEN

They Threatened 70 Raise All Their
Rates Y EmpIeysrs' Liability Law
Were Passed, but Became Quiet At
Hint Of state Offering indemnify.
[sacramento (Cal.) Union.l
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, wo-
men and children on their payrolls.
He found that In the factories Of the
state scores had been killed or maim-
ed for life and that there was abso-
lutely no provision for the protection
Of the families Of those workingmen
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 VIGOROUSLY oppressive
and seemingly hopeless for a genera.
ton. But Governor Wilson determin-
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 a strong employers
liability law. But for this he had to
fight with the same grim and I'M.
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 a 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.
VERY well. gentlemen. as you
please" replied Governor Wilson. "but
that II you try anything of
that kind it may be necessary for US
to establish a system Of state insur-
After that the insurance COM
panles 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 a 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-
the liability and compensa.
ton. 1t relieves an employee who Is
injured OF the necessity Of i~nstituting
suit to obtain damages by providing
a definite schedule covering the differ
emit 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 to
be determined by Jurors. Employees
are greatly benefited by It because in
cnse of accident 1t secures to them
without delay a fixed income at a time
when money is most needed and be.
cause It avoids long drawn out litiga.
ton. with it's attendant expense and
Real Service to Labor.
Governor Wilson meant It for both.
He supplemented 1t shortly with a law
compelling the erection Of fire escapes
on all factories and buildings housing
a number of employees-not one or two
spider ladders, but equipment suf3.
to prevent q recurrence in New
Jersey of the horrors that had shocked
the people Of the New England manu-
featuring cities.
such laws are worth something TO
labor. They reflect the opinion Of a
who believes in the honesty of la.
boris purpose to the extent that he