The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-07-15
DENVER EDITOR BACKS LABOR WORLD
! IN CAMPAIGN FOR STATE INSURANCE

~ ~xA4v&8 124S
The Denver Labor Bulletin: The
organized working people Of Minne-
sofa are conducting. an active CAM
pa1gn to have all workmen's compen-
sation insurance carried by the state.
william E. McEwen, postmaster of
Duluth, editor of the Labor World Of
that city, and former state labor COM
missioner, is leading the fight of the
workers for safe and prompt payment
OF compensation without resort to the
courts, as is often necessary where
private companies carry the insur-
ance.
What is said in relation to private
insurance evils of Minnesota also is
true or Colorado, where the private
companies are fighting compensation
payments after the State Industrial
commission has acted favorably for
the injured or dependents of workers
killed while employed.
Recently Mr.. McEwen published an
editorial in his paper severely crit
1clsing the private companies and
making clear the importance of a.
compulsory state insurance fund car
rylng compensation awards. This edi-
torial was reproduced in The Bulle-
tin because the situations in Minne-
sofa and Colorado are almost identical.
Demand state Protection.
In Minnesota as in Colorado, the
employers liability insurance agents
have organized for the purpose of
preventing the enactment, of a sound
state insurance amendment to the
compensation act.
This insurance agents federation has
issued q circular In which it takes Is
sue with the Duluth Labor World and
it's editor. The circular does not at
tempt to answer the strong argument
advanced In behalf Of state insurance,
but It .pretends to. make light, Of the
statement made: by the: Labor World
jim which it was asserted that the state
already appropriated $2,5S3, 900 per
annums to suppport 10000 Of its ..:crip-
pled""; population ine asyl4ms,:, AIMS
houses and prisons; and 1t should also
be regarded as a. duty. of the state
to care: TOR the thousands Of men HID u
women. who are annually, crippled
while :;sprod5ue'ns :t tt wealth OF ne
Childish Plea by INSURANCE, Men y.
This, is, the. answer Of the INSURANCE
men to the demand Of organized labor
for state Insurance.: ~ =: -. =. J.:
1.-THE argument, in short, Is that the
state has precisely the same concern
in disabled wage Harners as;in its mat
urally dependent wards, the: feeble1
minded;s tbs panpar and 1.-The criminal
classes; that despite the fact that the
state has already provided a. benefi-
cent system OF workmen's compensa-
ton whereby, in lieu of civil damages,
the industrial employer is made finan-
cially responsible for all accidents to
his employees, it should go still further
and abolish the. institutions which it
has licensed, to,write insurance under
that system, .substit uting: therefore an
experimental insurance plan Of it's
own. .'*:
I'VE do not, believe the self-respect-
ing wage carriers would relish being
thus classed With the inmates of the
states charitable or penal institutions,
nor, If they did, that the taxpayers
at large would care to finance any
such paternalistic theory Of govern
men." =: s:.::l: ~ =; g: =:
MeEwen: Replies Ito Critics. !: ,
In a. recent issue of the Labor
World, Editor: McEwen replies to the
insurance federation's circular as fol-
lows: >~ ZEE FL a~~ S..~'...
'Thet weaknessiot the position taken
by the 0insurances agents. is exposed
when they state. that Minnesota has
already provided for e 'beneficent sys-
tenn of workinsnaen's compensation.
''NolworkinEman. will be.very mueh
concerned about the subtle pleas OF
the insurance agents to link the, in
jured workinEn1an with 3the Inmates