Cheyenne record., 1915-01-14
CARlSONS INAUGURAL ADDRESS
coLoRADos NEW GOVERNOR RECOMMENDS ECONOMY AN INDUS
COMMISSION, A WORkMEN's COMPENSATION ACT,
ASKS THAT CAPITAL AND LABOR CLASP
HANDS REUNITED, GREATER STATE.
Newspaper Union News servic,.

ber of people assembled at the Audi
torium at noon today, when Governor
George A. Carlson delivered his in
augural address. In part, the new ex-
ecutive said:
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE TWEEN
TIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
THE STATE OF COLORADO:
Greeting: In my few days asso-
pressed with the fact that the desire
tie and firmly fixed. Colorado is young
ment. Mighty problems have proven
battling: but l am most highly graft
POSITION posi- 10 % to % quail or rerf erinse. so0 Giant
problems are the despair of the weak.
but they ry only serve as spur to the
lens Is only matched by your .opportu-
nifty for service.
Colorado and the immediate parties
disputes. Frequent conflicts between
and each conflict has been character
lied by increased bitterness and. in
some some instances, attended by destrue-
therefore. must be apparent to all that
the present methods of preventing and
settling grievances between employer
and employe are entirely unsatisfac
tory, and quite frequently disastrous
h to those directly involved; and & to the the
perative that this Legislature earnest
ly and diligently, address itself to the
II possible. the causes of these indus
but a part of the problem. The
causes at the bottom of disorder must
be recognized and measures adopted to
eliminate them.
The time has now come when Colo
baing q
tive force Our state government must
become u positive and vital agency to
forces: an agency to stand between
employer and employe and compel fair
resuit can best be By ths
establishment of an industrial commits
sion charged with the power and duty
Of administering laws now existing or
hereafter enacted concerning the rela-
tionship between employer and en-
niGys R9nrhs and bureaus asi ;3% nGW ex
tain phases of this relationship lack CO.
ordination. uniformity and definite
their powers and duties delegated to
the commission.
This commission should be given
broad. general powers. 1t should have
power to administa" and enforce laws
protecting the life. health. safety and
prescribe what safety d devices and 9TH tn,
er methods of protection are best
adapted to render the employees of ev-
power to promote the voluntary arb-
tration. mediation and conciliation of
ployes, and to avoid the necessity of
resorting to strikes. lock l-outs. bov
colts. black lists. discriminations and
legal proceedings in matters of en-
ployment; to establish and conduct
free employment agencies and to do
all in its power to bring together en-
ers seeking employment; to devise and
adopt the most efficient means within
"A ,,N1x 4
to prevent involuntary idleness: to pre-
vent distress following involuntary
ing to the work Under its Jurisdiction:
to subpoena witnesses and to examine
books.
Power to form an advisory board
should be given the commission. Such
a board. composed of persons serving
without t, G;9empensat,on and repre- represent-
the commissions rulings, would be
able to give valuable aid and sugges-
minimize criticism of its rulings.
In addition to the power to issue
and enforce general orders. the com
mission should have power to issue
special orders where particular or un-
usual circumstances would make a
general order work an unreasonable
within it's scope.
Herstofore. % our STATE state goyernme,n,
disputes to become more and more
bitter until finally violence occurred
The state troops were then called out
An industrial commission armed with
full information as to the exact con-
ditions in a disturbed employment
with power of mediation and concilia-
tion and offering inducement to arbi-
tration would in most cases be able
sas o aSer sida nar
agreement could not be reached the
public would be in full possession of
the facts. This Is the application of
the commission to a situation grown
acute.
Along the lines of preventive work
its broad powers to decrease unem-
ploymcnt, to compel safe places of en-
ture laws concerning the relationship
of employer and employe would GER
tainly tend to diminish the present
industrial unrest and establish a con-
dition of harmony.
WOrkmen's Compensation.
Complementary to these powers. the
commission should have authority to
put into effect and administer sys-
tenn of worlmens compensation. Long
and hard fought legal contests, un-
ployer tie g'tiesS and empioye. TO protect him
self the employer pays large sums of
money to insurance companies who in
der to make a profit can pay the en-
ploye but a fraction of the amounts so
received.
The system of workmens compensa-
ton except in certain cases of serious
and willful misconduct. gives the en-
ploye a right against his employer TO
fixed and definite or easily ascer-
tainable sum on the mere occurrence
of an accident in the course OF the
employment The amount of co:npen-
sation is fixed according to, the degree
of injury or disability and according
to the injured employees earning abil-