The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-07-25
WIS. FEDERATION
OF LABOR'S 22ND
ANNUAL CONVENTION
Continued from Page 5

convention, discussed the question of
compensation for accidents, as under
the ability laws on the statute books
there was too much assumption Of
risk. The workman assumed the risk
of death, the widow assumed the risk
Of paupperism, the charity work as
sumed the risk of furnishing clothing
and rent. We found. from a partial
investigation that about II per cent
of the causes of restitution of the
family had arisen in whole or in part
from some kind of industrial acct
dent.
This brought before us a serious
problem to solve. A partial solution
has been made by the enactment Of
the present compensation act by the
state. And why should not society,
having invented machines which
make business a long war. treat those
who are. enlisted in our industrial
army at least like enlisted men, as
they are incapacitated through no
fault of theirs. and reimburse them
partially as pensioners of peace? Wis
ocnsin has taken that view of our in
dustrial system. and has placed on
it's statute book the compensation
Law
/ I desire to say that two-thirds of
the accidents which occur in the
I. building industry can be prevented
/ by the enforcement of stricter orders
. in relation to scaffolding and floor
. ing of buildings that are being erect
ed. The contractors pay but little at
j tention to the safety of their, work.
] men. They are protected by their
. liability insurance policy, and there
/, fore, if one of their wOrkmen gets in
I jured it does not worry them; they
are not interested in the lives of their
I workmen. as there are other work.
men to take their places. It is no.
thing out of their pocket. The liabi-
Z lily company must take care of the
injured one, and if killed, must see to
it that the family will not suffer.
When the contractor starts building
the only question he is considering is,
how soon and how cheap can it he
erected. The protection of his work
men, in the erection and construction
of the building never once enters his
mind until an accident happens.
- Labor and Prohibition.
Labor and especially organized
labor denies that it suffers from this
so-called drink evil. Labor feels and
knows that the cause of whatever
= suffering intemperance brings, lies
deeper than those who favor prohibi-
ton will dare to acknowledge, they
know that they deal with effect only
and refuse to remove the real cause.
The chief cause for intemperance
is the unjust conditions that naturally
arise under a profit system, and
which those who advocate prohibition
are doing their dead level best to per,
4 petuate, therefore organized labor
is opposed to prohibition, because i
believes in real, not forced temper,
ance, and real temperance can. come
only by shortening the hours of labor
establishing better sanitary conditions
stricter protection.
IT'D State Constabulary.
There is considerable discussion be
ing carried on in several of the state'
by the subsidized press, which is thu
, naouthpiece of organized greed, tina
a law be enacted which will give TIL,
state the right to establish state pc
lice force-better konwn as tn,
Am erican Cossacks-which can b,
used at any time to shoot down tn,
workers who have the manhood t,
request a living wage from their in
dustrial master -.a e.. .5.ts
I shall not review the damnabl
outrages committed by the state con
stabulary Of Pennsylvania and hov
81 1t has been used by the mining cor
poration in order to keep the miner
OF that state, in a state of wage sla
very. s.. a. @
TO establish state police is the frs
SIS move to lay the foundation for mil
itary despotisna and will be the powe
BIB used by the profit-taking class when
j Il aver the opportunity presents itsel
10 destroy the republic OF the Unite,
81 States and establish q monarchy. 70