Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-13
aEnuiNE 2pRoseEcr or CON.
/. oaEss eAss'np EMPLovEs'
COMPENSATION BILL.
iNsuREo woRkMEN WOULD
RECEIVE MONEY SPENT LAYING
systs.n Would Cost Railroads But
Little Moro Than Accidents and Lit
is.tier o At Present ri"s-Re.d'
spsnd @s.1oo,ooo Per Year in Dc.
Tending Suits.
Especial Correspondence

: y
Z Especial Correspondence
, Washington. Jan. 1S.-That there is
a genuine prospect OF congress at this
session going so far as 10 enact legis-
la ton for the automatic compensation
of injured employees of common car
riers in interstate commerce is asserted
.by those who have been keeping in
touch with the. situation.
- This subject has long been under in
vestigation BY the employers liability
and workwen's compensation commits
sion, OF which Senator Sutherland IS
the head The commission will make
its report to- congress in short time.
II the legislation which is proposed
goes 4thru II will mean something like
$40. 0O0. 900 a. year in the hands OF IN
jured railroad employees or the WIDOWS
and orphans Of railroad employees VINO
have been killed in line of duty. AT
the same time. the railroads will be but
lit3ie more out of pocket on account OF
accidents than now.
- Action. at Present Session.
rs Herman E. Wills. assistant genera
chief engineer of the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Engineers and the legis-
,iafive representative of all the rail-
-foAd brotherhoods. who Is In WASH
sinGton and is deeply Interested In COM
pensation legislation, expressed the oe-
lief today that the proposed legislation
was near at hand. He said he had
carefully looked the ground ove7 ana
thought the bill which would be rec
commended by the commission. or one
like 1t, would be passed at this SEES
sion. Mr.. Wills. who was long an ac-
tive engineer. living at Clinton. Iowa.
has been, Instrumental here in recent
years in getting legislation thru con-
xress for the benefit of the railroad
employees OF the country
How il Would Operate.
Mr.. Wills: explained how the pro-
posed bill would operate. AT present.
as everybody who reads the statistics
: Of .the interstate commerce commls-
sion knows the slaughter and manning
OF. EN- ployes on the railroads OF the
United States goes on at an appalling
rate II ie az If there was fair-
sized war on in the land all the time
such ares the accidents and fataiities.
i,The railroads pay out about S4.oVo.ooV
"a year ito injured employees and Me
Families Of the killed. About $s.ooo.VVV
/ a year more IL spent by the roads in
Mitigation over claims arising from &C
.cicents to employees. This means ina.
1.-THE accidents to employees cost .he
troads about. 312 100000 year. Under
! the proposed compensation measure.
fSsunder which there would be no iti-
bxation. the roads would pay out about
4 Il .0oo, 900 to administer the COM
nensation law. Taking this from the
!! $4,000. 900 would leave s14.000.000 to
| he paid thes railroad employees or their
\ families instead Of the 100000 now
/ paid them. THE advantages to the In
j 1ured employees or the families OF the
! killed are obvious, Mr.. Wills points
! out.
i Would Promote Harmony.
4 Moreover, Mr.. Wills has pointed out
| to the managers Of the roads that II
i the automatic compensation system Is
4 adopted there will be better feeling
3and an improved situation as between
1.-The roads and their employees and In
4 the LONG rus 1t will be to the advan-
3tase 81 the roads. OF course, the
4 lawyers who fight for or against
5Hcaaiuf1 sarising from railroad accidents
will suffer.
4 Mr.. WILLIS was sent to England and
Il Germany by the railroad brotherhoods
j last summer to find out about the
4 CONDENSATION ot injured workmen in
Ethose counties. The law proposed
there Is largely patterned after the
4 English law.i
) Would Be Extended.
Il Should congress once establish the
& .principle OF automatic compensation
as applied to the railroad employees
iit will rapidly follow that 1t will be
t,applfed TO industrial establishments
! lif not by the general government
whose power is doubtful In this re.
= spect, then by the states. Mr.. Wills
3 Is convinced; that once the principle
s. is established by congress, it will rap.
idly take on wider application than t.
, the carriers.
When the bill is introduced, 1t vii
70 to the judiciary committees. Sen
lator Sutherland IL on the senate ju
Il dietary committee and will exert hi
!, Influence for. favorable action. Con
y kressman Moon Of Pennsylvania, VIII
is on tie commission. is on the hous
: Ijudiciary committee and will also urs
ifhat committee to act favorably. Fa
yorabIe action by both committee
: would be long start in the direction
pl.of favorable action by congress.