The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-11-19
Address Made by T. ]. Duffy, to the
0. S. F. of |. Delegates at
Mansfield, O., October, 1915.

Perhaps it would not be amiss
for me to say few words to you
on the subject of law enforcement.
In the matter of labor legislation
Ohio is already in the front ranks
The laboring people of the state
have made their influence felt in
bringing about the passage of de
sirable legislation. But in the mat
ter Of law enforcement they have
not exerted their influence to the
same extent. 1t is useless TO Sc
cure the passage of good laws un-
less those laws are strictly and hon
estly enforced. 1t seems to me,
therefore, that we should be more
concerned at this time about the
enforcement of law than about the
passage of additional legislation.
Leaving out of consideration such
questions as law to. compensate
the victims of occupational disease,
there is no industrial reform that
cannot be accomplished through
the industrial commission, without
even bothering the legislature,
providing the men who compose
that commission are favorably in
clined, and are furnished with ade
quate means to carry out the rur-
poses Of the law
The industrial commission is not
only charged with the duty of en-
forcing labor laws, but it has au-
thority to go beyond the specific
requirements of the statues, and
issue orders requiring employers to
do anything that could reasonably
be considered necessary to protect
the life, health and safety and well
rare OF employees.
To this commission is assigned
the responsibility of inspecting the
workshops, mines, public buildings
and steam boilers, and also The ex-
animation of applicants for license
to operate steam ergires and boil
ers-all with the object of protect
ing the life, limb and health of the
workers against the dangers of
their employments. And if work
ers are injured or killed in the
course of employment, then this
commission, through its work men S
compensation department, is re-
quired to see to it that the injured
worker, or the dependents of the
killed worker, are paid compensa
tion as provided by law. Through
it's free employment Offices it is re-
quired TO do its utmost TO provide
employment for the unemployed.
Through the department of inves-
tigation and statistics it is required
to see to it that the injured tistical
data and investigate and study in
dustrial conditions, just as ply
sican would diagnose a case of dis
ease, in order to know what rene
dies to apply in the effort to i'm
prove the conditions.
Can you think of any public mat
ter that it is of more importance to
the laboring people of Ohio than
the work of this commission !? 1t
seems 10 me that to obtain the best
results this work must be in the
hands of men whose minds are
friendly, whose hearts are sympa
thetic, whose knowledge and ex-
perience are such as to qualify them
to dc justice to all concerned, and
who have the will and the courage
to do their duty.
In the past the Ohio State Fed
Grafton of Labor has effectively ex-
erted it's influence to bring about
the passage of desirable legislation.
/ want to appeal to you today tc
exert your influence to put 'hi:
state labor department on such 6
basis that no matter what political
party triumphs in this state thi:
humanitarian work will go on un
disturbed and unhampered by those
who unconsciously had the spoil:
of Office above the life, limb, health
and welfare of the workers.
Under the law the members o
the industrial commission, and they
alone are responsible for the work
of the various departments unde
the commission. You cannot ex
pect the best results If conditions
are such that majority Of thu
members of the industrial commits