The Alaska daily empire., 1916-03-21

The conditions which caused the formation of the Treadwen Commit tee of Safety. are common to all in- dustrial institutions. Wherever @ large number of men are associated of necessity there springs up new conditions, new desires, new neces' sites. new requirements, new dan. gers and new responsibilities.
 The histories of these institutions are generally alike Owners, opera tors and workmen have been prone to trust too much to the element of chance. and 1t is only after repeated accidents and disastrous results that there is born an earnest desire to remedy these ills which are capable of remedy.
 Out of the mass of disconnected and incomplete evidence of the past a few glaring facts show common responsibility in the operation of Q large industrial plant The workmen who through careiessness endangers the life and property of the institu- tional association, is as criminally guilty as the owner who neglects to provide safety devices and sanitary conditions.
 Another fact has been learned, that men don't exactly crave to be killed accidentally. nor do they enjoy the accidental killing of their co-workers.
 "Passing the Buck"
 The Treadwell Committee of Safe ty are learning. have learned in fact. that passing the buck" or shirking responsibility and laying the blame after the accident has been done. IS not the sole object of the Committee of Fifteen
 As the past is a prophecy of the future, so we must look to the past for guidance. The mistakes of those who have lived under conditions simi- lar to ours, must be used to shape our actions at this time. Unless we can improve upon their yesterdays our todays will be failures. Tn order that this committee may be of the utmost service to that part of human kind with which it is immediately as- sociated, it must collect classify study and apply It's facts That this is being done. the records Of this re- port bear convincing evidence The benefits of this organization are ap- parent since the secretary's records show Hess serious accidents have oc- cured during the year 1915 than in any other year during the history of the mines" Were nothing else to be said of the efficiency of the Commit- tee of Safety, they would deserve the character of a successful organization. But there is much more to say, and much promise for the utilitarian fn- ture of this Committee Of Safety.
 Organized In 1912
 Briefly summarized. the Treadweh Committee of Safety was organized during the year 1912; the object be- ing to avoid accidents and taking the means Of preventing recurrence.
 In case of accident a schedule Of benefits was adopted to loo paid with out going into the question of respon' sibiliH. 1t being held that mems nec- essities were the same whether they were responsible for their own acci' dents or not.
 This committee consists of fifteen men. eight Of whom arc appointed by the Douglas Island Labor Union, from its members. and seven appointed by the general manager of tho Tread well company. O.
 It is a matter Of considerable local pride that the six men sent from the Treadwell First Aid teams, to com pete in the National First Aid tests at San Francisco, tied for fourth place and won fifth place in contest that embraced trained experts from all ov- CT the United States.