Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-04

I comes upon him, who ear i'll afford to
bear it: and if his injury is serious,
resulting in long incapacity for work.
or in death, his family is drafted into
| that great army of dependents that is
a reproach to our civilization
There is no reason that common
sense can accept why the cost in hu-
man efficiency and human life of the
production of the things that people
need should not be charged to the ac-
count Of that production. just as is
| charged the cost in injury to machin-
cry.
| It is this consideration that has led
| 20 the passage of workmans compen-
| alton laws. Among the States to adopt
such law was the greatest industrial
state III the Union, New York; but the
| highest court in that State declared
that the people had no power to pass
| such a law: the judges said it was q
good law, greatly needed law, but
| that it was unconstitutional, because
| the employers We're required to charge
| to their expense account injuries to
| the Workmen. Now New York is try
ing 10 see r it cannot nave some kind
| of w0rkmens compensation law that
will be constitutional.
There are two ways by which the
state can conceivably do this.
One way is by the slow process of
changing the Constitution so that the
Legislature will be empowered tn pass
a compulsory compensation act.
The other way is 10 frame a measure
IN such a form that the employer will
rot he compelled by the State to COM
pensate his employees, but Will find il
very Instantaneous to himself if he
does not do SO but elects to take his
chances i'll the courts, because he Will
find himself stripped of his common
law defenses.
There are several States which have
chosen the second of these alternatives
which is under serious consideration in
the New York Legislature at present.
At the same time there is also pend
ing in the Legislature resolution to
amend the Constitution so that the
first alterna tive may be adopted.
There is practically no serious oppo-
sition to the proposal that some kind
OF warlSmen's compensation law be
passed in New York; but there Is Il
warm dispute as to what form that
law should take.
1t Is evident that If workmen are to
be compensated for injury there must
he fund provided out of which such
compensation can he paid There are
four possible ways for providing such
n fund. First, each employer may re-
serve norton of his income out or
whicll 10 pay his own employees. This
of course is possible when the employer
is a great corporation: bur Il Is prac-
ticallv out of the question with The
small employer, who would find ii inn
possible to meet the cost of ii serious
disaster suddenly occurring. Second,
number Of employers may join in eS-
tablishing o common compensation
fund, thus carrying on for this partic-
ular purpose process of mutual in
surance. Third, the employers who
choose to act in accordance with
compensation law may be required to
Toxic out insurance IN private liability
companies There is a great objection
to this, especially ON the part of or
canized workmen. The reasons for this
objection are that these liability COM
panies have no interest whatever IN
the relation between the employer ana
employees, and are therefore likely u