The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-01-21
Builders In Mankato

capital in the building trades, thus
obyiating strikes and lock outs.
| Greetings From Commercial Club.
E. F. Soaring, secretary of the
| Mankato Commercial club, presented
the greetings and congratulations OF
| that body on the splendid start that
| the new organization had made. He
| said that he himself had long been in
| favor of the organization of build
ers' exchange in this city, and had
encouraged the project whenever he
had an opportunity.
Architect Albert Schippel urged
the members of the exchange to re-
member Mankato dealers. He said
the contractors should purchase
lumber of the Mankato handlers, and
exchange should do what it could to
build up home industry, and work for
the growth of the city.
Judge NJ c.. Tiff of Minneapolis
was presented by Mr.. Soaring as the
speaker of the evening. The judge
spoke on the employees compensation
law, which was passed in 1913, ana
amended in 1915. The speaker highly
approved of that law. He declared
that prior to the passage of that law
the problem of compensating the
employee in case of accident was a
long-vexed question, which had
never been settled. He said the law
had seemed to work out to the gen.
eral satisfaction of both employers
and employees. The law fixed sched-
ule of benefit for the employees
who suffered injury while engaged in
their various occupations, but Meth
er the employers nor the employees
were obliged to work under that law
unless they chose. II either en-
ployers or employees chose to work
outside of that law, they had to file
notice with the state commissioner
of labor. However, =, the practice of
operating under that law has become
almost universal in the state of Min
nesota, in all classes of trades to
which the law applied.
Three Great Defenses.
He stated that employers had been
almost forced to operate under that
law. He remarked that employers
used to be able to use three great
defenses, namely contributory negli-
gence, negligence on the part of a
fellow servant and waiver of right TO
damages On the part of the employee.
Now these were taken away, and the
employer found it more satisfactory
to have definite schedule fixed,
than to have to face the possibility of
long -protracted litigation.
The speaker dwelt at some length
on the fact that the state law pro-
vided for the organization of NUT
ual insurance company among the
employers. He said this was an ex-
cellent feature. He spoke of the.
various mutual insurance companies
of employers in the state of Wis
consin, and said the employers of the
state of Minnesota had reason to be
congratulated on the fact that there
was but one such insurance company
of employers in the state of Mime
sofa. By having one big mutual in
surance company, the risk was we'll
distributed.
Judge Tiff spoke of the liability of
an employer in a small concern of
having to pay 81 a week for 800
weeks to an injured employee, and
also Of the liability of paying still
more in case of the loss of one or
both eyes, or of one or more limbs.
He said most concerns could not
stand many such liabilities were it
not for the existence of insurance to
distribute the risk. Some employers
had the old-line insurance and some
the mutual.
What Is the Incentive.
The judge was asked what incen-
tive there was to the employer to be
careful of the lives and safety of his
men, if he could pass the burden on
to an insurance company. The speak
er replied that the less accidents
there were, the less an employer
would have to pay in the way Gof
premiums for his. insurance By
adopting the most modern safeguards,
conducting his business in such
way as to have the least possible
risk, and by showing a good record
of freedom from accidents, employ
ers could get much cheaper employ
ers' liability insurance
A rising vote of thanks was eX-
tended to the judge for his address.
Architect George Pass told some
thing of his early life in Mankato.
He came to this town in 1877. He
spoke of the difference in the spirit
of the workman of today from what
it was in the old days. In the old
days a workman did not have the
same self-respect as now Now he
has his organization. He takes pride
in his calling. He wants to do good
work, but he will not be trodden up
on and brow beaten. In the old days
workman could be trodden upon by
mean employer, and on the other
hand. he was not above tricks to get
ahead of his employer if he could
What he cared about in the old days
was his days wages. Sometimes he
would work unreasonably hard to get
ahead of a fellow employee and get
greater favor for himself In these
days the workman wishes to do good
work, and he demands fair treat
ment. When he has anything to do
with the erection of a building, he
wants to see the man or company
for whom the building is erected get
good, first-class job, and his
moneys worth