The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-17
Many Subjects of National In
terest Discussed.
National Civic Federation Opens
Annual Meet.
APPROVES DEFENSE PROGRAM
Seth Low Advocates Training
''.E Every Man for Army.
What Kind of WOrkman's Com
~ pensatiOn Is Best!

~ Washington, Jan. 1.-THE National
Civic federation opened its sixteenth
annual meeting today with prominent
civic welfare workers from throughout
the country present. Subjects for dis
lcsission included preparedness, immi-
grafton, government regulation of
private industry and other problems.
The woman's meeting of the federation
2 opened separate two days meeting.
National preparedness was a fea-
ture of tOdays program. which was
given over largely to presentation of
committee reports. Seth Low of New
York, president of the federation, in
his opening address declared if the
United States is to prevent the IAN
tagonisms and hates of Europe and its
age-long tradition of empire" from
finding Judgment on this continent
after the war, it must be by the
strength of our own right arm and by
Willingness to die for what is certainly
precious to ourselves and for what we
believe to be no less precious to hu
mainly"
sMr.'L Low said he favored the admin
1stratton defense program not because
he thought it ideally perfect but be-
cause 1t was a long step in the right
direction.
Approves of Swiss System.
Personally" he continued, 81 be-
lieve that a short service under the
tOiOTS on the SWlSS system, 1nOQlIeQ
-1perhaps, to meet our conditions, should
be required of every young man in the
United States, and that we can no
Nlohser depend upon an army which as
in Englend strengthens the view that
it is the business of a few to protect
all rather than the business of all to
protect each other"
Mr.. Low expressed the hope, how
ever that the time would come when
there would be mot only an interna-
sltional court with power somewhere to
q. fenfOrce its DEGREES, but some interna-
tional body for the adoption of inter
national law"
Any plan of military preparedness
which makes the flag under which
we live the emblem of life, our all, and
not a rag with which to protect the
corpse from which the spirit has fled,
II welcome declared Miss Maude
Wetmore, of Rhode Island, in present.
ing the report of the woman's de-
partment. Preparedness against war
- concerns the women she said. They
are the ones who carry the heavy bur
dens of catastrophe.
Workmen's Insurance.
The great assistance rendered by
.-the federation to Legislators in plan
ming drafts of compensation laws was
Indicated by August Belmont, of New
York, in his report on the years ac-
tivities of the Workmen's compensa-
ton department. A bitter subject of
dispute, he said, is whether private in
surance or state managed insurance
is better
1.-The extent to which the worlxmen
gain from the compensation law he
continued, may be illustrated by the
fact that it is reported the net pay
ment to wage earners under the en-
ployers' liability in Massachusetts in
1911 were estimated at less than
$500. 900, of which & large proportion
pfobably went to their cttGrneys;
whereas under the worSmen's COM
pensation in 1914, 1878 $50 was paid
out in actual losses TO wage earners. "
A. j. Porter, chairman of the mini
mum wage commission, recommended
the department of labor and COM
n1erce make a joint investigation OF
the relation of labor to the location OF
industry and the effect of Legislation
on behalf of women and children or
industries and workers. Far better
than the low wage system of Europe
with compulsory social insurance is
the higher wage of the United States
with the appropriate means to insure
ones self declared p. Tecumsef
Sherman, chairman of the social. in
H.