Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-03

they might have been if this $25,000,-
goo had been spent according to the
plans and advice of competent engl-
neers regarding carefully the ques-
ticns of drainage, and the kind of ma
terials used, you Will appreciate what
an enormous waste of money there has
been ir this connection. In many
towns the highway work has been con-
trolled by political faction, whose OBJ
ject was to work with men and teams
on the road machine. Now, is it not
time that we stopped the old methods
and adopted new ones?
The question of building new high
ways is important, but the question of
taking care of them, after they are
built, is not only important, but it is
the greatest economic question in con-
nection with highway construction.
The railroads are compelled by law to
have an inspector go over their tracks
daily. The travelling public would not
be safe unless this was done. The
towns have been in the habit of re-
pairing the roads once a year, devot-
ing one or two weeks to the job, and
the other eleven months of the year,
the public are obliged to use them just
as they find them. We have all seen
many a new piece Of well constructed
road to go to pieces in few months
from the lack of a little care, and re-
pair from day to day, as defects ap-
reared with it's use. While | have no
desire to take road building or repair
ing away from the municipalities, yet
/ DO want them to have the assistance
of more and better engineering. l do
not think that any money should be
paid by the State Treasury to any
municipality until there is a guaranty
by law that it shall be expended for the
hest highway construction known To
modern science. BY best, | mean the
most economical and suitable for the
different localities with regard to use
to which the ROAD is TO be put,-and
with some kind of a legal guaranty
that it will be properly cared for after
it is built. There is no end of the dis
cussion that this subject warrants. 1t
is being considered from one end OF the
state 10 the other, but | have no de-
sire to discuss it further. having con-
fidencc in your ability to formulate
some law embodying the best that ex-
perience and the science of modern
highway construction has taught us.
Worknan's Compensation Law.
We now have nearly S0,000 wage
earners in the manufacturing plants
of the State Under the rules of the
common law now in force in this State,
the employer is bound to provide a
reasonably safe place in which to work,
reasonably safe tools and machinery,
III fatl nj n
competent fellow workmen, and to
make proper rules for doing work. by
neglect in this, he may he liable Tor
injury to his workman, provided the
workman's negligence does not con-
tribute to the injury, or 1T is not caus-
ed by the negligence of fellow ser
want: and provided also it cannot De
shown that hthe workman understood
and assumed the risk of the machinery
whether reasonably safe or not. While
rot complete these are the rules OF
law which govern the relation of mas
ter and servant in this state. Under
modern conditions these rules work
much hardship and injustice to the
wage earnefsl Placing the liability for
accident upon the employer only IN
cases where his, negligence is establish
ed, under these rules, leaves the en-
pIoye III Il harZardeus and uncertain
condition as to maintenance ana sup
port when injured, facing the FISK OF
those dependent upon him becoming
paupers in case of his death or d1sabll-
ity from accident. These rules OF the
common law may have been We'll
enough in former times to govern rela-
tons between a master and few SER
wants. but under modern manufactur-
ing conditions, when hundreds and even
thousands of men are employed under
one management, they can but result
in great Injustice In place of the com
mon law during the past % years
nearly all the countries of Europe
have adopted other rules for workmeh 5
compensation. in case of INJURY OF
death from accident and during the
past decade many states OF our Union
have followed their example.
The general plan, to a greater extent
is to disregard the cause OF the INJURY
and the question of negligence, and 10
compensate the workmen injured by
fixed charge upon the industry. or up
en- the State Accidents are considered
a. natural risk of the business, and as
such. to be paid for b. IL and III many
states the common law has now been
modified by statute So as to preXide
conpensation according To fixed sehed-
uIes to workmen injured or killed IN
the course Of their employment. When
the accident is not the result or theif
wilful negligence. These laws are bas-
cd upon the idea that Tue consumer VIII
ultimately bear the burden which IN
the past has been b2rne by the en-
blower. but which in the future must
become a charge upon the business,
and come ultimately cut OF the con-
sumer.s -..
The employer has used liability m
surance to protect himself, and eXper-
fence shows that less than fifty per
cent. of the amount of premiums PAID
has gone to the injured. and from this
sum at least one fourth should be de-
Quoted for legal expenses. Also any
benefits thus derived are through liti-
CATION and are long withheld from the
injured The greatest prejudice, hos
tility, and many times hatred between
employer and employee, is the most
fruitful and common result of such litl-
CATION. That we have outgrown this
cvctepo in Maine cannot be denied, and