The Washington herald., 1915-12-29
SEAMEN'SLAWS
ARE DISCUSSED
Prof. Farnum, Of Yale, Says
Man Makes No Progress in
Governing Himself. .
LIVES LOST INCREASE
Association for Labor Legislation
Elects Prof. Fisher. of Yale, as
Its Next President.

Prof Irving Fisher, of Yale University.
was elected president of the American
Association for Labor Legislation yester-
day at the opening session of the ninth
annual convention at the Shoreham.
John B. Andrews, secretary: Irene
Osgood Andrews, assistant secretary. and
Adolph Lewisohn, treasurer, We're re-
elected.
Henry R. Seager, of Columbia Uni
versity: Theodore Marburg. of Baltimore.
and Ethelbert Stewart, of the Federal
Bureau of Labor Statistics. were added
to the vice presidents of the association.
Edmund B. Osborne. OF Mont Clair. n.
J., and Arthur Quinn. president of the
New Jersey State Federation Of Labor.
Of Perth Amboy, of New Jersey. were
elected members of the general ad-
ministrative council
Secretary Wilson Presides.
Yesterdays sessions were devoted to
the discussion of social insurance, of pro-
tective legislation for seamen and to the
annual business meeting. Henry t.
Dev1ne, chairman of social insurance
committee and director of the New York
School of Philanthropy. presided at the
morning session. while Secretary of Labor
Wilson presided in the afternoon. The
deliberations of the convention last night
were conducted by Royal Meeker. Com
missioner of the United States Bureau
of Labor Statistics.
Among the speakers on social insurance
were F. Spencer Baldwin. manager OF
State Insurance Fund of New York:
Haven Emerson. Commissioner. Depart
ment of Health, city of New York;
Michael NJ. Davis. jr., director OF the
Boston Dispensary; and Henry r. Seaser'
former president of the American Asso-
ciut fnr I oh TLaDis1afinn
Ernst Freund. president of the Amer
lean Political Science Association and
professor of law at the University OF
Chicago, spoke on Principles of Legis-
lation." At the evening session. Henry
r. Seaser gave a talk on American
Labor Legislation"
Interest centered in the discussion of
protective legislation for seamen which
was discussed by Prof. Henry W. Far
nam, of Yale University; Andrew Furu-
seth. president of the International Sea-
mems Union: md Frederick L. Hoffman.
statistician for the Prudential Insurance
Company.
Prof. Farnam spoke of the progress
made by man in his domination of nature
and the lack of progress made by man
in governing himself.
I'VE have built steamers of n speed and
power thought impossible a generation
ago waves and WIND have compara-
lively little effect on the regularity with
which our greyhounds cross the ocean on
n schedule of seven. six. and even less
than five days. Progress in the preserva-
ton Of food gives US a variety and lux
ury of diet which, half a century ago,
could not have been commanded on the
most expensive steamers and which the
great ma jority even of lirst-class ocean
travellers seldom enjoy upon land.
Wireless telcgraphy has made it pos
sihle 10 flash tho 5. q. 5. call across the
waste waters and t. bring to a ship in
distress within n few hours swarm OF
helpers
And vet. in spite Of all this progress.
the number OF lives lost on the water
see ms to have gone up steadily"