Milford chronicle., 1912-04-26
Liability and Compensation
Measure Progressive.
JUSTICE IS ITS OBJECT
President Approves Proposed Legisla-
tion Making Federal Labor Laws Fit
Modern Conditions-LegaI Machinery
Simplified.

AS the result Of the personal interest
of President Taft in all matters af-
fecting the workingmen of the country,
congress has before it today a COM
prehensive bill on employers liability
and wOrkmen's compensation which is
recognized as one of the most progress
slve Of the many achievements of the
Taft administration. The bill was re-
ported by a commission appointed by
President Taft pursuant to a joint res
olutiOn Of congress passed on June %,
1910, and it was recently sent to con-
gress by the president, accompanied
with a message recommending its pas
sage. AS drafted the measure pro-
lvides an exclusive remedy and COM
pensation for accidental injuries re-
sulting in disabilities or death to en-
ployees of common carriers engaged
in interstate or foreign commerce or
in the District of Columbia.
This comprehensive legislation is the
direct outcome of the general unsatis-
factoriness of labor legislation passed
by congress in recent years and is il
Illustrative Of the Taft method of reach
ing an admitted evil by a painstaking
investigation followed by carefully
considered laws. AS is well known, the
first employers liability law passed in
the last administration was declared
unconstitutional by the courts. A new
law to take its place was passed un-
der this administration. but it was gen
orally understood at the time that the
comprehensive measure now before
congress was to follow. both as to
liability and compensation, as soon as
the necessary investigation into the
subject could be made. The result is
that the wOrkingmen Of the United
States, so far as they can be reached
by federal law, will soon be working
under one of the most enlightened la
Dor laws on record.
Provision is made in the bill, as draft
ed tentatively, that every common car
rier engaged in interstate or foreign |
commerce shall pay compensatiOns in
the amounts specified in the bill to any |
of its employees who sustains personal |
injury by accident arising out of and |
in the course of his employment and |
resulting in his disability or to his de-
pendents in case of death.
1t is provided in the bill that the in
jured employee shall have medical at
tendance and surgical aid when nee
essary, the last mentioned being limit
ed to 5000. The monthly wages of an
employee are deemed to be twenty-siX
times the established days pay, and
$50 is the minimum monthly wage pay
ment. 1t is also provided that all COM
pensation shall be paid monthly unless
computed to a lump sum.
Death benefits are provided for at
specific percentage of the mans wages
to be paid to the widow with an in
crease in the amount when there are
dependent children, and in case of no
dependents the payment of the burial
expenses is required The matter Of
personal injury compensation is also
covered in a fair and equitable pro-
vision.
Another featdre Of the proposed act
is a clear definition of the term de
pendent" as we'll as of what cOnsti-
tutes an "injury" and an employee"
Legal complications are provided for,
reports of accidents, payments and
operations under the law to the inter
state commerce commission are re-
quired, and it is declared that the pro-
posed act shall take effect on July l,
1912, and cited as "the federal COM
pensation act of 1912"
In its Investigations Of this subject
the commission determined at the out
set that in substance the doctrines of
the common law originating under COM
paratively simple conditions were un-
just as applied to the complex relations
Of master and servant. The use of
machinery, steam and cleo
tricity has had the effect of increasing
the deplorable antagOnism between
and employee and often
giving q few injured employees large
and frequently eXtravagant damages.
while the great majority have been left
to bear the entire burden without any
whatever.
At the time of the adoption of the
common lew rules of liability indus
rial conditions were radically differ
mt from those cf today The number l
# employees was smaller because
here were few big Industrial plants.
The business carried on was small in
,xtent. the appliances used in the
work consisted largely of hand tools. e
While the power was simple in char i
Icter, with little danger u the en- Il
,loyee. Under such conditions the q
ules of common law originated. P
Today there is a vast difference r
Taft. in the message which .
transmitted the report of the commits n
ion to congress, aptly says, in speak 4
ng of the proposed bill. that it is one
I the great steps Of progress toward r
satisfactory solution Of an important v
hase Of the controversies between en- v
Ioyers and employees that have been o
roposed within the last two or three n
ecades. The old rules Of liability un- Il
er the common law were adapted to n