Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-01-08

IMPORTANT REF RMs
SURE FOR MINI. LABOR
Politicians Will Grant Workers,
Demands TO Weaken. Farmer
Labor Alliance.
By We. Michel.
st. Paul, MdnnJ-Within eight
after b the Minnesota Fedora.
ton of Labor officially entered Mime
sofa, politics as q. body, it will secure
from the next legislature considerable
of the legislator which labor demand
ed in the platform on which it entered
the political arena.
The record set by Minnesota labor
unions is not being eQualled by any
of the several other states of the
Union, where labor had found it neces-
sary to enter politics and demand leg
islatiye reforms. But there is a sound
reason for the unusual alacrity with
which Minnesota's reactionaries yield
ed to the demands of the laborites.
A political amalgamation had been
formed between organized workers
and organized farmers in Minnesota.
It is the apparent plan of the reaction
aries, who have always controlled the
government of the state, to kill of the
menace constituted by this farmer
labor amalgamation. To accomplish
this, they would give to labor some of
the things labor wants. They figure
that they can fight the farmers better
if they can divorce their ally-labor.
The Immediate Program.
When labor in Minnesota entered
the political arena four demands were
made. The first Of these was for an
amendment to the state workingman's
compensation act, providing for state
insurance rather than insurance han
died by private surety companies.
Another demand is for the institution
of state health insurance: The other
two are for 'pay when due" law and
lone days rest In seven" law.
Enactment of the latter two laws
are deemed almost a certainty, since
they do not contain an economic
kick" Their passage will not antag-
onize any particular interest and it
will be considered good business to
make a sacrifice hit" by permitting
this legislation, if it will wean the
labor strength away from the dan
gerous" farmer element, which demands
reforms that hit at the roots of mo-
nopolistic profit. These two laws are
explained by their title. One requires
that discharged or resigning workmen
be paid what is due them when they
leave the job, instead of their being
forced to wait for the next regular
payday to get their checks. The other
law requires that one days rest in
seven be given.
Stiff Fight on Insurance.
The other two labor demands, how
ever, hit at the insurance monopoly
and it is apparent that they will be
fought by expensive lobbies of the Or
ganized insurance men Of the state.
Some eastern insurance capital is ex-
pected in the state to help defeat these
measures, and their passage is not
quite so certain.
Since the Inauguration of the COM
pensation act in Minnesota the actual
payment of indemnities has been
largely in the hands of insurance
sharks. Instead of the employer pay
ing the injured man direct, the en-
ployer pays insurance companies a
regular premium, in lieu of which the
Insurance company pays the injured
workman. Instead of being willing
to pay injured workmen, the insur
ance companies have used every pos
sible loophole discernible to their
brilliant and trained legal stats to
contest payments.
Experience of Ohio.
Labor wants the state to do this
insuring. It would have law passed
permitting the state to assess employ.
ers seeking insurance regular
monthly premium. The state would
pay indemnities when WOrkingmen
were injured. An additional advan-
tage to labor, it is believed, would be
the making possible of larger indem-
mites without employers paying any
higher premiums. Eastern states
have found that SIS per cent of the
premiums paid to private owned
compensation insurance companies
go to the expense of conducting the
business, such as hiring solicitors and
advertising, which the state would
not meet. Workers would try to get
this saving applied to their indem-
mites.
Ohio furnishes the example upon
which Minnesota's proposed change in
compensation insurance is based, for
both Ohio and Washington have rec
ognized the wastefulness of privately
operated insurance against Industrial
accidents. Ohio likewise is the model
used by Minnesota labor leaders in
shaping the fourth legislative de-
mand-health insurance for workers,
operated by the state.
Under Minnesota's laws a worker
in brass foundry who breaks a leg
while at work is paid the working
mans compensation. But a fellow
workingman who contracts tubercu-
losis from the fumes gets nothing.
While labor leaders here are pleas
ed with the outlook they have not lost
sight of the fact that two things
brought them the power which reac-
tionaries fear and which makes
their success. possible. One OF these
is their entering politics and the sec
ond is the political amalgamation
formed with farmers.
The Millionaire Crop.
Eror,o tho 70 procopfo1 h1y -,