Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-18
Something "for the Farmers"
Sidney. Maine, Feb. Is, 1915.


| Semethina "for the Farmers"
| Sidney. Maine, Feb. 1S. 1910.
Editor Kennebec Journal:
| The reappearance at the state
House of our old friend 60 the work.
mems compensation act, so called. IN
another attempt to gumshoe its way
into the Statutes Of our good old
State, moves me to express. In my
hating, bucolic style, a few senu-
ments thereanent. What have to
say is from the viewpoint Of farmer
and owner of a farmers sawmin.
| Aside from few arrangements OF
dress we see in the present GRAFT OF
this bill the same old form with which
we became somewhat familiar two
years ago-The same old shape, NOV
ing in a fog cloud of legal verbtage
through which, methinks / can cis-
Germ the cloven hoof Of the insurance
| trust and the red flag Of the /. W. W.
! This act, We are asked to believe,
| had its birth in the great hearted love
| Of some person or collection OF per-
sons for the workingmen and their
families and the deep concern of the
aforementioned individual or group as
to the welfare of said families Of said
worlmen in the unfortunate circum-
stances following the loss Of their
| bread winner by accident during the
performance OF his duties; the beauty
Of the philanthropy suggested Is.
| however, sadly marred by the ex-
emption clause, which says, in effect,
| that while the wives and other de-
pendents' Of the artisan and other
workers and laborers should be pro-
| tected from want and provided fer
| for a term Of 10 years or more follow
| ing the loss of their mainstay, yet the
| widow and dependents Of the farm
Ia borer and the house servant in like
circumstances merit no consideration
whatever.
| When I read this clause in Mr..
Deasy's printed act (Senate document
No. 81 l thought l must have miscon-
strued the paragraph and reread it;
| then / concluded it must be mis-
print. for surely, sezzi, no learned dis
ciple of Blackstone would advance
such an illogical proposition as this.
| So l turned to the Cole draft and was
chilled by the sight Of the same pitt
less clause. Now, Mr.. Editor, what in
the world do you suppose led both OF
these estimable gentlemen to write
such a seemingly cruel and unjust
clause into their separate bills? Do
you suppose it is grounded in belief
on the part of these eminent and
learned men that all farm laborers
die rich and that their relicts AMI
| mill ha
provided for in the same luxurious
manner which the high eniolunents
of the deceased made possible before
| his demise? Or was it because the
proponents of the act consider that
the farmer already has about all he
can stagger under without paying 4
| tax on every man he hires and that
| the provisions embodied in the com
mon law will take care Of his case
anyway in case Of an accident to the
| farm hand?
The question was too much for me,
but supposed it would be an easy
one for most any Of our wise law
makers so I wrote to one of the mem
| bers Of the committee, which. I un-
| derstand is now trying to patch up
some sort Of composite bill from
| these two which shall not be too I'M
satisfactory to the interests con-
cerned-and asked him about it: the
gentleman replied that should have
my answer as soon as the members
Of the committee and the legislature
| could find tor words to that sooth-
ing and encouraging effect.
am watchfully waiting and pictur-
ing in my minds eye that committee
trying to solve the conundrum. AS
an employer of sawmill operatives L
| wrote to Mr.. Deasy (this before l had
seen a draft OF the act) and received
| a very courteous reply. in the opening
paragraph Of which he said: Il am
very glad to answer your questions
and to relieve, if / can, some appre-
hension which you entertain in COM
mon, undoubtedly, with not a few
other employers" On another and
subsequent page Of his letter he tells
me that unless I become an asserting
employer (Which process involves
payment Of tribute to the insurance
companies, other expenses and the
Haunting Of enough red tape to
strangle a goat) / am liable. in the
event OF fatality among my en-
ployes (Which God forbid) to payment
to the family of the deceased work
man Of approximately two-thirds Of
the weekly wage he was receiving
before the accident. for a term of 10
years or longer thereafter. This sug-
gested to me a picture representing
the genial and ingenious gentleman
Of the law seated at his typewriter,
one hand upon the keys hammering
out soothing words to relieve tho
apprehension Of the employer while
with the other he puts the finishing
touches to a sturdy, well knotted CLUB
to be bounced On the unsuspecting
bean Of said employer from the por-
tails Of our handsome if somewhat
skewed State house: the club labelled
"Werkmen's Compensation Act"
Just in passing. and while I am
thinking Of Mr.. Deasy I must touch
lightly upon another and really dra-
matte phase Of this affair which de-
veloped at tho hearing before the
committee when Mr.. Deasy was sup
porting his draft Of the w. c. A. II
he was correctly quoted (and 1 never
knew a newspaper reporter to write