The Ordway new era., 1912-05-02
new LABOR BILL
A TAFT POLICY
Liability and Compensation
Measure Progressive.
JUSTICE IS ITS OBJECT
Pre''dent Approves Proposed LeslsIa.
ton Making Federal Labor Laws
Et Modern conditions-l.esai
Machinery SimpIIfied.

IectlnS the workinsmen OF the coun.
try. congress has before 1t today n
comprehensive bill on employcrs' liz.
bility and wovkmcns comDensation
which Is recognized as one OF the most
progressive OF the many achievements
OF the Tart ndmm!strutionl. The bill
was reported by "A commission ap.
pointed by President Taft pursuant to
joint resolution OF congress passed
on June %. 1910. and II was recently
sent to congress by the president ac.
comranied with message recon.
mendins It's passage. AS drafted the
measure provides an exclusive rem
edy and compensation for accidental
injuries resulting in disabilities or
death to employees OF common car.
riers engaged in interstate or foreign
commerce or In the District OF Colum.
bia.
This comprehensive Legislation is
the direct outcome OF the general un.
satisfGctoriness OF labor legislation
passed by congress In recent years
and Is illustrative OF the Taft method
OF reachinS an admitted evil by
painstakrg 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 It's place
was passed under this administrator.
but 1t was generally understood at
the time that the comprehensive meas.
ure now before congress was to fol.
low. both as to liability and compensa-
tion. us soon ms the necessary inves.
tigation into the subject could be
made. Tho result Is that the work.
ingmen Of the United States. so far as
they can be reached by federal law.
will soon be working under one OF
the most enlightened labor laws on
record.
Provision Is made in the bill. az
drafted tentatively, that every com.
mon carrier. engaged in Interstate or
foreign commerce.. shall pay compen.
sations In the amounts specified In
the bill to any OF it's employees who
sustains personal injury by accident
arising out OF and in tho course OF
his employment. ard resulting in his
disability. or to hts dependents in
case Of death.
It Is provided in the bill that the
injured employee shall have medical
attendance. and surgical aid. when
necessary. the last mentioned being
limited to $500. The monthly wages
OF an employee is deemed to be 26
times the established days pay. and
$50 is the minimum monthly wage
payment. 1t is also provided that all
compensation under the act shall be
paid monthly. unless computed to a
lump sum.
Death benefits are provided for at q
specific percentage OF the mans wages
to be paid to the widow, with an in.
crease in the amount when there are
dependen; 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 fair and equitable provi,
sion of compensation for the injured
employee
Another feature OF the proposed act
Is clear definition of the term de
pendent" as well 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 in.
terstate commerce commission. are re.
qured, and II is declared that the pro-
posed act shall take effect on July l,
i912, and cited as The Federal Com.
pensatiou Act OF 1872
In It's Investigations OF this subject
tho ,or,, lie CT Iet M tho o,t
get that in substance the doctrines OF
the common law originating under
comparatively staple conditions were
unjust as applied to the complex re-
lations Of master and servant. The
use of complicated machinery, steam
aud electricity has had the effect or
increasing the deplorable cntasonism
between up!Oyer and employee and
often giving a few ,Hmred employees
lart and frequently extravasant dam,
ages, while the great majority have
Deen left to bear the entire burden
without any recompense whatever.
At the time of the adoption Of the
common law rules of liability indus.
trial conditions were radically differ
.ut from those oi tod2y. The number
of employees was smaller because
there were taw big industrial plants.
The business carried On was small in
extent the app'i"nces used in the
work consisted largely OF hand tools,
while the rover was simple in char.
meter with little GaNGHr to the enl.
ployee. Under such conditions the
rules of comrIun law originated.
Today there is vast difference
President Taft, in the message which
transmitted the report OF the commls-
s,on to congress. aptly says, in speak
ing of the proposed hill: That 1t Is
one of the great steps of progress to-
ward satisfactory solution of an i'm
nortapt phase of the controversies be-