Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-08-12

proposed abolishing of the office at the
various hearings on it that we feel for
tunate and glad to inform you that the
committee did not report it to the House
for actio1.
Before closing this subject we feel it
to be our duty to say that we believed
the factory inspector was In position
whore he could have been of considerable
assistance to us, insofar as our request
for a female deputy was concerned. but
We were somewhat disappointed at his
attitude in that respect
An attempt was made to amend the
trustee process law so that only $500 in
stead of 5000 would he exempt from at
tachment; this however. failed
+ our bin to penalize false representa-
tion in advertising for help during
strikes or lockouts was introduced by
Representative Miller of Bethel and re-
forred to tn" committee on immigration
and labor. There was little or no oppos
tion to this measure outside Of the mem
bers of that committee at public hearings
| on it. Several amendments We're offered
which in effect would have strengthened
It but unfortunately the late strike In
the granite industry taking place.
was put upon it. While at no time
sanguinc of the passage of the measure,
we lost all hope for it on account Of
the trouble Just mentioned.
The bill providing for the heating in
| winter of the vestibules on street cars
was passed and must be a distinct benefit
to motormen and conductors.
The amendments offered by the YER
mont CHILD Tuho, on piio had ovr hearty
support but after considerable debate in
the Senate. action on the question show
ed that in the opinion OF the members
of that body the present law was not
behind that Of many other states but
was a far better one than many others,
so LETT It ms it was.
! We now come to the most important
| of all our measures, namely workmens
! compensation. for which this organiza-
! ton and all labor organizations through
out the country have SO ardently and
! pcrsistontly fought Through con-
| ference. correspondence and literature
| your committee endeavored by every
/ honorable means to retain the favorable
| opinion and active assistance of those
/ influential as employers in various parts
| of the State and by the same means we
were able 70 reach many members of
| the Legislature
/ In the latter instance we found many
of the opponents OF the measure We're
/ such through ignorance or failure to
| grasp the fundamental principles. How
| eyer, when we put the matter fairly and
| plainly before them We found that a
| rule they We're willing to give it some
Of the consideration it deserved. AS has
! generally been the case i'm Vermont, no
matter at what time during the session
bills relative to labor have been in
/ troduced, the most important Of such
| measures are generally left for action
until shortly before final adjournment
! and consequently do not always receive
the consideration due them Such. to a
compensation bill at the last session.
Time and time again we interviewed
members Of the commission which had the
drafting Of the bill in charge and just
| as often We're some excuses advanced
for the delay, until we were almost afraid
that nothing was to he done and we may
say that that opinion was beginning to
be shared by employers also, when we
seriously thought of introducing a bill
| ourselves
mttee at our own request was invited
to go over rough draft of the proposed
measure and suggest such changes as
| We as employees deemed necessary: this
We did and a few days later. with a
committee representing employers and
employers associations, We met with the
state commission went carefully over the
whole bill had general discussion on
ne
gested by both sides
The bill was introduced in the Senate
by Senator Simonds of Caledonia county
and referred to the committee on State
and industrial interests, Senator Carver
of Washington county, chairman
At the first public hearing Senator ST.
monds explained the measure and strong
ly urged the necessity for such legisla-
ton. did also some members of the
commission who were present
Your committee strongly objected to
that clause in section IS whereby the av-
erage weekly wages of deceased en-
ploye should be considered not to ne
more than ten dollars. In urging an
amendment to that section, we compared
it with the same item In every other law
IN operation when It looked SO ridiculous
that senator Simonds said he believed =,
typographical error had been made but ii
was a significant fact that no member of
the commission openly admitted it.
Apart from that some other items of
less account, we considered the bill as a
whole was in the main satisfactory to US.
Much opposition developed on account
of the expense to the state in supervising
or administering the proposed law by a
hoard Of three commissioners. 1t was also
suggested by some that EMPLOYEES should
he compelled to pay part OF that expense,
by others that employees should pay some
part of the increased cost of insurance.
All the above mentioned sugges tons
We're comhatted by Your committee and
several employers in the granite indus
try,
The committee finally reported the bill
with a great many amendments thereto;
amongst others there was two which !
will now read +. "a. section IS.
Section l0-And provided also. that any
beneficiary hereunder who is an allen at
the time OF the accident not resident
within the United States shall only re-
ceiVe one-half of the amount of compen~
sation in this act provided"
Notwithstanding the fact that they
amended section IL by striking out 10 and
inserting s25 We felt az employees and rep
resenting this organization that the bill
as it passed the Senate was not what we
wanted. and we considered the dominant
political party as far as represented by