The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-04-19
INDUSTRY MUST Il %.4
%%=~ BEAR MONEY RISK
Continued from FaEe !.

strict definition OF the word "acci-
dent" This Is ono Of the most i'm
portant features Of the bill. Mr..
Lundeen OF Minneapolis forced to
passage an amendment making en-
ployers liable for medical attendance
and hospital services for the first 30
days, and to the amount not to ex-
coed $195. - H.. q" J.,
Mr.. Campbell, chairman Of the COM
mittee on labor. induced the house. to
adopt an amendment permitting en-
ployes to recover for the first two
weeks Of an accident whenever an in
jured employe was laid up for more
than 80 days.
The house turned down the amend
ment increasing the maximum COM
pensation from SO to SIS, and also
increasing the death limit from $4,000
to $1,000.
Attempt Wisconsin Law.
have the Wisconsin law substituted
for the committee bill. The house
deliberated for six and one-half hours
on the measure. It looked for a long
time as If the bill would fail, but
when the important amendments were
passed. number Of the members rail-
lied to the support Of the bill and on
! the final roll call there were but six
votes against it.
The action of the house ends a
fight of organized labor in Minnesota
| of more than 20 years standing. At
every session of the legislature up to
1909 the workingmen OF this state had
bills introduced to abrogate certain
| defenses Of the employers. Every one
of these bills was defeated.
In 1909 an agreement was made
| with the Minnesota Employers asso-
citation to work. for the appointment
| of a commission to make q scientific
study of the question Of workingmen's
| compensation. This commission of
which Mr.. McEwen was member,
spent two years Investigating the SUBJ
! ject. The commission visited Euro
pean countries and studied the laws
! in effect there.
| At the last session Of the legisla-
ture the commission made majority
and minority report. Mr.. McEwen,
the labor member, and Mr.. Mercer,
the neutral member of the commits
sion, recommended compulsory bill.
! Mr.. Gillette, representing the employ
ers, recommended an elective meas
| ure. The New York court at this
! time had declared the compulsory
| law of that state unconstitutional. The
| effect Of this decision reached Minne-
sofa, with the result. that action on
! session.
A committee was appointed in the
senate consisting Of Senators Rockne,
Boyle, Scha1ler, Fosseen and G. H.
Sullivan, to draft bill. A number
| of hearings were held and the bill
which passed last week is the result
Of this committees efforts.
Senator James Boyle Of Duluth took
an active part in the work of this
committee. Labor is indebted to him
more than to any other member in
the senate for striking out three very
important Questionable features to
the original bill. + 81
| The senate committee bill contained
a provision requiring employees to con-
tribute a portion .of the cost for car
rying insurance Hereunder. Depend
ents of aliens living in other countries
were to receive reduced compensa-
ton under the act, and employees who
were injured through "willful negli-
gence'' were to be denied compensa-
ton.
| The officers of the State Federation
of Labor waited upon Senator Boyle
| and submitted to him strong argu-
| mentS against the above named provi-
sions Mr.. Boyle Immediately recog-
nized the injustice they would bring
to labor, and he forthwith in commit
tee demanded they be stricken from
the bill. It was no easy fight, but
Mr.. Boyle won in the end.
| He also attempted to have the
compensation increased but he was de-
feated in this by the other members
| of Minnesota are under many obliga-
tons to Senator Boyle for the good
work he did on the worklngmenrs
! compensation act.
In the House of Representatives,
Campbell, Lundeen and Nolan vigor-
ously supported the contentious Of la
Dor. They too are entitled to their
share of the credit for the improve
ments made in the bill over the SEN
ate measure.
1t Is recognized at the outset that
the law contains many defects. Labor
must be content that the principle Of
compensation has at last been recog-
nized. We shall be obliged to look
to future sessions of the legislature to
correct the defects in the measure
about to become law.
BELGIUM STRIKE
TO FORCE REFORM