The Washington herald., 1913-02-16
Charles Earl, Solicitor Of the Department of Com
merce and Labor. Who Has Pioneered the Law,
Says Practice Of Enlightened Countries Is
to Protect the Workers

small and unimportant classes Of work
ers. The first broad recognition of the
principle. however. was left to the ma
tional government
Since the law went into effect, during
August 1905, sixteen States have taken
1t as a pattern for legislation Of their
own. 1t is administered by the Secretary
OF Commerce and Labor. and his de-
cision Is final. This officer for the past
four years has been Charles Nagel, of St.
Louis. wise and kindly man and a very
able lawyer. The pioneer work of; the
law. however. has been done by Charles
Earl, the solicitor Of the department.
In face and figure, Mr.. Earl is a re-
fined copy Of Theodore Roosevelt.
Origin of the Compensation idea.
The compensation act" Mr.. Earl
says, "is a distant step in advance 1t
substitutes the enlightened modern view
for the obsolete doctrines of the common
law respecting responsibility for certain
wrongs for which there had been no
remedy. 1t permits the prompt payment
of compensation at time when the
breadwinner is stricken and money IL
most needed. Furthermore, II keeps the
family of the workman. IL he is killed
at his employment, out of the poor
house or Off the charity list"
Where" / asked Mr.. Earl did the
compensation idea originator"
I'm Europe, where society has had
more time to reflect than is the case in
new countries. Political economists long
ago perceived that many hazardous occu-
pations were necessary to the general
welfare. Digging coal is one of them:
making iron and steel is another. We
could not get along without railroads.
Nor can railroads. it would seem. be
operated without the loss of life and the
injury of trainmen. Powder and dyna-
mite are articles of common use almost
everywhere. Their manufacture is dam
gerous to all who are engaged in It.
Every steel skyscraper pays toll in
human blood.
Political economists and other
thoughtful persons also perceived that
while society required coal and iron
and transportation. that society was not
paying the full cost of those primal re-
quirements of modern civilization.
Workmen were being killed and work
men were being injured in performing
added to the cost OF the service they
were doing. Instead, it fell in the event
of DEATH on the families of the men
and, in the event of their injury, on
themselves.
"A coal miner SO the new philosophy
shows, is engaged in an occupation OF
the highest Importance to his fellow
The coal he digs warns the
people in winter, keeps factories in oper-
alton and moves railroad trains Let us
say that a miner has his leg broken In
an accident The roof Of the mine fell
in and there was no escape. Under the
old practice and the old view of such
an event, the miner, a poor man. would
lose his wages until he resumed work.
In the meantime he and his family might
be a charge on the community in which
they lived. Perhaps his landlord and his
grocer might help. 1t is almost certain
that his comrades in the mine would
take up a collection in his behalf. But
nothing came to him as a matter of
right. He had knowingly entered
hazardous occupation and must be will
ing to bear its penalties while enjoying
its rewards. 1t was a brutal argument
but it was accepted by public opinion
and was sanctioned by our laws.
Added to the Price Of Coal.
THE theory of the legislators who
passed the national and State compen-