Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-14

Inc Mdltit senate nave pStli ltiluA
and broad minded enough and unsellish
enough To put behind them their own
individual interests, If YOU please. er that
which they believed their individual in
terests. and stand here upon the floor
of this Senate aud represent the people
whom do they represent
believe that it will be said To thctc
credit that they have not in their at
titude upon this question been bark
ing back to their own individual in
terests. but have looked To the broad
er and larger affairs and interests OF
the State of Maine. and have cast their
votes accordingly.
Gentlemen of the other branch of
this Legislature at the other end OF
the corridor may if they will. rapud-
ate their party platforms and then
pledges. They may, if they will. be
lieve that they are large enough AMI
self sufficient enough to be able 70 rr-
turn to their constituents and say tn
them that they have acted upon this
matter as they saw the light, and they
may be able 10 convince them that
they acted with that in view. Men
who had a little saw mill in Aroo3-
took county may be able to so up
there and convince the people Of thar
country that they We're acting for the
whole people of the State of Maine.
and not that they feared that their
little interests would in some way be
impaired. Men from other sections
who perhaps represent a shoe indus
try or something else. may be justi-
fled in believing that they had a risAs
to represent themselves in the LeSis'-
lature and not the people whom they
had in their employ.
| think they may. however, nave
something to explain. | would not
say that the bill that has been before
this Legislature Was Il perfect pro
duct, but | would say that it would
average we'll With the compensation
bills of other states. and reports are
coming in from IL other states OF this
Union that their compensation bill
are serving the purpose of which
they were intended, and they are
broadening and charging the scope
of their bills and not repeating them.
Reports are coming from dozen 9th
er states considering such bills. And
what is the report that goes out from
the State of Maine2 Is it that Maine
is keeping pace with the progress Of
the times? No. 1t is that she is hold
ing back. refusing To keep step, and
refusing to advance with the times
refusing to keep step with an advanc-
ing civilization. if you please.
That bill, as every member knows.
is framed upon the broad principle
that the industry should bear the bur
den and bear the suffering of the in
jured individual, as it bears the eN-
pense of machinery and the other nee
essary expenses of that industry. That
principle is becoming SO well settled
that il is not necessary TO present any
argument upon it. The senator's OF
this body have recognized that prln-
ciple and | congratulate them.
This is not the only matter that has
met the same fate at the other end OF
the corridor. The Massachusetts bal
lot was killed over night, The House
changed its mind over night, having
passed the bill once aud then toma
hawsed it the next morning. For Wha
reason2 There are three bodies rep
re5enting constituents in this i4egis~
lature. The Senate can return to its
constituents and receive the applause
of those who sent them here. The
House can return to their constituents
and if they can explain theft position.
! let them do So The third House Will
return to its constituents and VII be
received with open arms.
They We're here for the purpose of
defeating the public utilities bill The
were here in body for that pur-
pose and they We're thwarted In that
purpose. The storm which gathered
about the public utilities bill broke
over this compensation bill, equally as
meritorius. and they can return to
their constituents, and say See what
we have done. We have killed the
workmen's compensation bin and for
| that we wish our reward That is
what will be said.
But | realize fellow senator's that
| am speaking to you who have been
friends of this BILL and therefore
would not weary you. | would not seno
the bill. back to the House. | WOULD
prefer to see 1t remain here. We are
about to close this Legislature. We
ence. Upon the first committee ol
conference the House absolutely re-
fused to consider any kind of propo-
sition. Members of the House com
mittee would not consider anything N
the way of concilliation upon this bill
The second received a better treat
ment, and it was thought that there
might be "a possibility of the bill il
some form passing.
In the House they took what they,
| supposed considered to be gentle
or genteel way of killing the bill
by tacking upon it two amendments,
one of which, absolutely ridiculous,
does not recognize even the first prin :
ciples of the workmen's compensation
bill. And upon that it was. of course,
1t was indefinitely postponed in the
House, and ! will say that that is
one of the very few reasonable an |
decent propositions that they have
presented in the relation to the work :
mems compensation bill, when they in
definitely postponed the bill that they
had previously amended by saying
that the workman should himself con-
tribute onehalf the amount of the
premiums to be collected for the pur-
pose, when the compensation bill itself
that an Injured workman can only