Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-24
ATTORNEY GENERAL
ON COMPENSATION
Takes Off His Coat and Enters the
Ring to Urge the Admins
tration Bills

Attorney General Francis Skunk
Brown went into action in earnest yes
terday afternoon in advocacy of Gov
ernor Brumbaugh's legislative pro-
gram, the occasion for his official
debut being the workmen's compen-
sation bills.
The Attorney Generals appearance
on the firing line was under circum-
stances out of the ordinary and when
he concluded his effort in behalf of
what has been regarded as the major
measure of the program perspiration
was standing in beads upon his fore
head. Mr. Brown disclaimed any
pride of opinion" with respect to the
compensation bill which is in large
part his handiwork. He urged the
judiciary general committee of the
House and the committee on cor
porationS of the Senate to amend the
measure as they saw fit, but to make
a beginning in the matter of providing
the State with an act of a kind upon
the statute books of other common
wealths.
The States law officer shattered sew
eral lances in tilts with representatives
of corporate interests who protested
with all the vigor at their command
that the Governors proposed compen-
sation act would saddle upon the busi-
ness of the Commonwealth an addi-
for them to bear. But the Attorney
General characterized the fears of the
spokesmen of business as a mirage
that would vanish before the workings
of the measure which he had drafted
and which has upon it Governor
Brumbaugh's endorsement. Several
times the representatives OF organized
labor applauded the unusual spectacle
of an Attorney General for the leading
industrial State of the Union demand
ing that Pennsylvania take its place
in the forerank of States that under
take to protect workmen against the
accidents and fatalities incident to
industrial life.
At one period of his defense of the
Governors compensation bill Attorney
General Brown approXimated William
Jennings Bryan's Gross of gold and
crown of thorns" effort, when, striking
his breast with his clenched hand, the
soft coal operators of the State could
pay S3,00O.000 annually in compen-
sation at cost of l cent per ton upon
their output.
'I would not care to be a citizen of
Commonwealth" the Attorney Cen
eral observed, that put so low an esti-
mate upon human life and welfare as
to declare to the world that 1t could
not afford to pay / cent per ton upon
its coal output to care for the families
of victims engaged in the production
of such vast wealth"
Mr.. Brown conceded that the COM
pensation act might split upon the
rock of nconstitutionality," but he
declared that he was willing to face
that possibility with composure. He
declared that he did not appear before
the joint meeting of the Senate and
House committees to guarantee the
constitutionality of the proposed act
The Attorney General made a strong
plea for the board of award feature of
the Brumbaugh bill. He asserted that
he would not like to see the courts
made the arbiter of awards. He added
that the courts-and he said that he
did not mean to reflect upon the courts
had not the quality of human in
terest' necessary to administer a COM
nensation act. He observed that the
courts were too involved in q mesh of
red tape Ia male settlements upon the
plane of man to man