The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-04-26
new LABOR BILL
:, A TAFT POLICY
Liability and Compensation
Measure Progressive.
JUSTICE IS ITS OBJECT

President Approves Proposed Lsoisia
tIon Making Federal Labor Lave
FN Modern oondItions-Lssal
Machinery sImpiihsd.
A the result Of the personal intsr
est of President TAFT IN all matters e
fscting the workingmsn Of the soun
try. congress has before Il today 4
comprehensive bill On smploysrs' ~
bility and workmen's oompsnsation
which 10 recognised - one o6 the most
progressive Of the many achievements
Of the TAFT administration. The bill
was reported By . commission ~
pointed BY President Taft pursuant 70
Joint resolution Of congress passed
on June Is. 1910. and II was recently
sent to congress By the president ~
companisd with . message recon-
mending its passage. A drafted the
measure provides An exclusive rem
sdy and compensation for accidental
injuries resulting In disabilities or
death to employees Of common oar
riers engaged In interstate or foreign
commerce or In the District Of Colum.
bia.
This comprehensive legislation ID
the direct outcome Of the general IN.
satisfaotoriness Of labor lsgislation
passed BY congress In recent years
and II illustrative Of the Taft method
Of reaching IN admitted evil By
painstaking invsstisltion followed By
carefully considered laws. A IL well
known. the nrst employer liability
law passed in the last administration
vas declared unconstitutional By the
sourts. A new law to take IT. place
was passed under this administration,
but It was generally understood q
The time that the comprehensive meas
urs now before congress was to fol
low. both ~ to liability and oompsnsa
hon. - soon - the necessary invss
dgapon into the subject could b.
made. The result II that the work
lngmsn Of the United States, 20 Tar q
they can bs reached By federal law,
will soon BE- working under one Of
The most sulightsnsd labor laws on
record.
Provision y made In the bill. q
lraftsd tentatively. that every com
mon carrier, engaged IN interstate or
foreign commerce, shall pay oompsn.
Sations In the amounts specified in
the bill to any Of it, employees who
sustains personal injury BY accident
arising out Of and In the course Of
bis employment. and resulting in his
disability. or to his dependents In
case Of death.
It II 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 10 deemed to BE- Is
times the established days pay. and
$50 10 the minimum monthly wage
payment It 10 also provided that al
compensation under the act shall be
paid monthly. unless computed to q
lump sum.
Death benefits are provided for 1t q
specific percentage Of the mans wages
to bs paid to The widow, with an. In
crease In the am6unt when there are
dependent children and In case oe no
dependents the payment Of the burial
expenses 10 required. The matter OF
personal injury computation 10 also
covered In fair and equitable provt-
sion Of compensation for the injured
employee.
Another feature Of the proposed act
10 clear dofnition Of the term ia.
pendent" ~ well ~ Of what oonsti,
tutss an injury" and an employee"
Legal complications are provided for.
reports OF accidents. payments ana
operations under the law TO tia IN.
terstats commerce commission. are n.
CURED. and It u declared that The pro-
posed act shall take eject on July 1.
1911. and cited - The Tsdsral Com.
pensation Act Of 1914"
In it, Investigations Of this subject
lhs commission determined At the out.
Jet that In substance the doctrines Of
mo common law originating under
simple conditions VAR
unjust - applied to the compiler n
ations OF master and servant TIA
'se OF complicated machinery, steam
md electricity has had the eject Of
the dsplorabls sutasouiam
between employer and employee and
'ften giving . few injufed employee
arse and frequently sxtravasant dam.
&C., while the great majority have !
'een left to bear the entire burden
Without any rsoompsnss whatever.
At the time Of the adoption Of tn
ommon law rules OF liability indus.
rial conditions were radically diRer
mt from those Of today. The uumbe,
employees was smaller beoausa
here were few big Industrial planta
he business carried on was small IN
xtent. the appliances used In The ,
'ork consisted largely Of hand tools
'hile the power was simple in char
cter with little danger to the en-
loyse. Under such conditions The {
,lss OF common law originated.
Today there 10 q vast Difference.
resident Taft, in the msssass which !
ansmitted the report of the commia- I