The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-20

ifacturers and employers OF Richmond.
entirety. 1t would be wise, he thought.
TO mark time and see how well the
law worked In the North and West
before saddling so radical a law upon
Virginia.
"A more indnlgent spirit was dis
played by "A. r.. Long, OF Lynchburg.
lie recognized. he said, that work.
principle and will eventually have to
be adopted by Virginia to cquallze
the burden OF Industrial accidents His
slderation, he said. was that 1T deprives
the employer of his common law de-
lenses. and does not provide the proper
machinery for Administrations.
The admlnistration, objected Mr..
Long, was vested in 4 lay board, con-
sistlng OF three members OF the State
government, now presumably sum
GENTLY burdened with other work. 1t
was not reasonable. he held, to expect
such Il board to deal satisfactorily with
the accident cases. which are now han
died by the courts
The Industrial accident commission,
moreover, vested with full power to
pass upon the ability of the employer
10 meet accident risks and TO compel
MN TO take out insurance, thought
MIR. Long, might somu time become an
instrument OF abuse.
Attnci< Prior Lien Clause.
Attorneys George Bryan and l.. T. w.
MarSe, OF this city. attacked particu-
larry that section of the bill which
makes the employers liabiliay for ac-
cluent compensation Il lien taking pre-
cedence over all other claims against
1ected would seriously Impair the
ability of manufacturers and corpo-
rations TO sell their bonds or mort
cages or borrow money from banks,
since lenders and investors would
night shy OF putting their money into
securities which might by accident be-
n n Inn. rNf
lien enjoyed by the compensation OBJ
legation.
Further objections to the bill as a
whole and to separate sections were
made by T.. NJ. Braxton. representing
the Newport News Shpbuilding and
Dry Dock Company; Attorney Malcolm
H ai, OF D2nvilie; Attorney Charles
Norfolk; Attorney r. b. Davis, OF Pc
tersburg; Secretary w. a. Clarke, Jr..
OF the Retail Merchants Association.
or Richmond; Fl. l.. Brown, of this city.
ana Delegate Woodward, of Norfolk
The latter presented letters and tel
egrams OF protest from the Norfollo
Chamber of Commerce and the Retail
city.
Labor Endorses Act.
e. c. Dawson, OF the Virginia Fedora
tlon or Labor, defended the bill as n
piece OF legislation in keeping with the
advanced thought OF Continental En-
rope, and the practice of twenty three
industrial States OF the Union. Most
OF the argument that had been pre-
scented against the bin. he said, dwelt
upon the dollar side OF the question
He had heard little. he said. OF the
human side which should carry the
most weight
The matter OF working out the legal
details, said Mr.. Davidson, may safely
be left with the committee. lie Knew
nothing. he said, about the question
OF me prior lien, but he was better
acquainted with the armless sleeve
More than $4,000 Industrial accidents In
Virginia, entailing In many cases much
suffering and human degradation. he
SAID. called for the enactment OF a
law which viii distribute equitably on
society at large the burden of pro-
vlding for the dependency resulting
from them. He predicted that Within
Two years the same interests that are
now opposing the bin Will join in press
ing It's passage as Il much needed and
desirable piece of legislation.
Patron Defends NH.
The hearing was concluded by Dele
gate Chalkley. patron of the measure.
who defended his bin on broad prin-
ciples. He was not so much concerned
about the minor details of the measure
as he was that the present Legislature
should pass workmen's compensation
act that will be satisfactory both to
employer and empioye. \ fair rate OF
compensation. absolute certainty that
the compensation viii be paid, and an
NhtSlcHt DuN'h 10 pass upon ali cases
arising under the act. he said, were
Indispensable.
Mr.. Chaikley spoke pointedly OF that
part Of the opposition which has join
ed pell-mcil in the attack upon the
measure without first famlliariZing it
self with the bill or IT'S provisions"
Only limited number OF those who
are reported to be opposing the meas
ure, he thought really knew the first
principles OF tho act under conSidera-
tion or OF any other compensation act.
great many OF the kilograms and let
ters received i'll opposition to the bill.
he pointed out, were so similar in word
Ing and import as TO indicate II COM
mon propaganda origin.
Unless fair workingmen's compcn-
sation law were placed on the statute
books, warned Mr.. Chalkley. employers
will nnd themselves soon in a far worse
position. The laboring men OF the
OF laws in their own protection which
will deprive the employers OF their
common law defenses OF rellow-ser-
I ts,l 80 e.esl