The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1916-10-19
STOOD BY WORKERS
Governor Alexander Vetoed Fake WOrkmen's S
Compensation Bill

petuate the government from gen
Grafton to generation.
Poverty and ignorance are not good
agencies for the fostering of free
governemnt.
"A good, broad, comprehensive
workmen's compensation law is what
Idaho needs. There has been a bill
drafted by a committee appointed by
the last Legislature which will be pre-
sented to you.t ! ask that you give it
full and careful consideration, but be-
fore you adopt the measure as drafted
would wish you look into it well,
if necessary, again consult with the re-
presentatives of organized labor to
determine whether the benefits pro-
vided therein are as generous as they
ought to be.
Huge, gigantic corporations are
generally represented i'll the legisla-
tive halls by men of talent who argue
their cases. In the courts, they have
the best lawyers to fight their battles.
The poor crippled workman has to de-
pend upon friendship or is compelled
to hypothecate, by a contingent fee,
the money really belonging to his
! family. Let JUS do away, in the work.
compensation AdNy WIN Gil
technicalities and stand squarely upon
the right.
"If there are any doubts in your
minds as to the amount of money to
| be paid the unfortunate who has be-
come manned and crippled, or to his
| family, give him or them the benefit
of the doubt and you will have enact
ed measure that will be lauded by
all men,"
The recommendation of the Cover
nor was met by law which in no
phase furnished adequate compensa-
ton to men who might be injured
while engaged in employment in any
of the industries. The bill should
have properly been entitled ''An Act
to Lesson the Liability of Employers
for Workmen's Compensation, for
that is in reality what the measure
would have accomplished.
One feature OF the law alone was
sufficient to condem it. That was the
feature which exempted employers
from the payment of any liability
whatever in the case of the death of
an employe who might be foreigner
This condition afforded the plainest
kind of a bonus for the employers of
labor to discriminate against citizen
labor in favor of foreign labor, for
the bill did provide in some measure
for compensation for injuries and
death to citizen labor while it specifi-
cally exempted such compensation in
the case of foreign labor. Such pro-
vision of course would induce all
employers of labor, wherever possible
to employ none but foreign labor.
Following the passage of that meas
ure a hearing was had by Governor
Alexander, which was attended by
/. by representative of both sides. La
Dor sent representatives from every
section of the State to represent la
Dor at this hearing. These represen-
, tatives were unanimous in their re-
, quest to the Governor to veto the bill
, In addition to these requests, the Gov
) ernor was almost overwhelmed witt
) letters and kilograms from laborine
: men from all sections of the State
: begging him to veto the bill. He ac
! ceded to these requests. How ther
: can it be said that he is antagonist,
] to labor? How can it be said tina
: those who still advocate this measur,
/ are friendly to labor The truth of tn,
Y matter is that this bill was anothe
G one of those instances where unde
n the guise of friendship to labor, it i
sought to enact law that will prov
most injurious and none is bette
s qualified than labor itself to deter
t, mine whether the proposed enactmen
: would be beneficial or injurious.
!, 1t was the unanimous opinion o
: labor in this State that this bill woul
n have been an injury to the cause Q
y the principles of worknen's compen
a sation and it is the unanimous opinio
i likewise that Governor Alexander b
n given heed to the voice of the repre-
= sentatives of labor in this state, ha
s. shown himself to be labor's tru
s friend.