The Alaska daily empire., 1915-04-22
TRANSFER fIGHT
 FR0@ COMMITTEE
 10 TIE SENATE

10 TIE SENAI i rhe Senate committee on capita and labor transferred the Tight on sh, ! woramons compensation bin from tb. committee to tbo Scnato. when t re ported che measure This morning With
 out recommendation The bin wi. B,
 on the Senate calendar
 The joint committee meeting las night on q B @ by shoup. known a. the Worsmans Compensation bin was largely attended and lively sas . sion from start Co finish From shortly after s o'clock antii ater mi5nign . the battle waged, opponents of the bill and those favoring it giving blow foi . blow
 j. Fl. Cobb opened fire on the bill alter stating that he had,been request ed by members of both houses to ev anime it
 "It is bnl of great Importance. he
 stated "it affects half of the wage
 earners of the Territory lhc basic principles underlying compensation acts are sound. lt originated in Au.
 stralia and Germany and Che theory
 Ia that ]. lessons litigation aad Cue government can anord Co pay dam.
 ages.
 But this bill he dated was simply
 an act to restrict the liablity O. em
 ployers in Alaska and that there had
 been no demand for it on Che part of
 employees; that 1t was Che work oi corporation attorneys
 Beware ot the Greeks when they come bearing gifts. he made use ol the proverb
 The legislature is asked to put 8 price Of S2.500 on a mans life and ! have seen slaves sold in Brazil for more"
 lie then proceeded to hcaiedly crit icise the bin section by section. saying in par, that
 Only parents wholly dependeu, on son for supper, could collect under this bill which means chat no parent could collect and lho attorney who drew Che bill knew they could not
 He scored the section relating to compulsory examination by company doctor after an accident has occurred. and stated that the entire bin invited litigation. In closing he said
 This bill is the begotten child Of a crooked and diseased brain. yet care fully drawn and sprung on the legisla- ture at the last minute It has not single earmark of a workmans com. pensation act and the legislators will be crucided by their constituents if they pass it"
 Henry Roden, a member of the first Territorial legislature and corpora ton lawyer as he said followed Cobb and proceeded section at time Co pulverize the bill
 "The legislature will commit Che out. rage of the century if they pass this act. he declared of you must expert ment do it with the employer whom all the world knows Is better able to stand being experimented upon.
 He referred to the Worlds Alma. nae number of times to verify his statements. designating it as the miners law book
 Mir. Roden summed up his obiec- tions Co the biii by stating that it was too complicated, too difficult of under standing. and too cumbersome for a country like Alaska Also that it did not obyiate litigation, and that there was no assurance that the injured . workmen would get the small amount of the schedule
 "rhe bin has the earmorks of lo- calism and was drawn by one not fully conversant with conditions in Alaska as whole This compensation act means everything to workman, and you ot Che legislature should act care fully for you are dealing with women and children and children yet unborn
 B l.. .Thane hoarse and weak from illness. took the floor and spoke as an operator. he stated. in defense of the bill and assumed sole responsibility for the authorship of it Leaving the legal questions raised by Mir ROden to be answered by bis attorneys. he ad- dressed himself to Mir. cobb's insinua tons. as he styled them
 "Alr Cobb says, Beware of the Greeks when they come bearing gifts And say that the proyerb is perfectly applicable when reversed. Is 1t crime for a corporation to come be fore legislature with bil that is ,air and open and clean? alone am for this bil and am proud of it Mr. Cobb makes his liy- ng by fighting damage suits
 He then related in detail the steps .aken by him Co secure the draft of Che pill. stating that it vas necessary for < p..,-.,.l Cl u n