Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-08

dl4fdu! 4-44lI1s4ot commerce Iat VIM :
country viii he greatly benefited. For
that reason. II seems 10 me thdt The
Federal Government should bear its
lair proportion OF the cost. believe
that plan can be worked GU, 10y
which the Federal government may
be- induced to do this.
To accomplish his. very material
amendment will Hdy. to De- made IL
the law Ot 1879. The Wa, department
has refused 10 issue permit TO -he
STATE uude, that law changes viii
Haye TO ne made Io overcome this
difficulty. and also 40 meet the views
above set forth.
recommend that yOur honorable
Body give It's most earnest eonsit-
GRAFTON Co this important -uJjec.
Compensation -aw
The compensation law. which had
heretofore been voluntary wa made
compulsory AT the las. session of
Your honorable body The results
nave Jeuudautly proven yoar wisdom.
ILIer the I'd method q. a-ce.tatnins
damages 4or persona. lujuiy, there
: We're long delays. heavy expenses,
ana lIt a traction Of the total cost ~
/ The employer went 10 the iujurela
employee. In large proportion OF
! tho cases arising under the compensa-
ticn Law AZ present, the amount IS dA-
ed witaout expense 70 either party
( tor lawyers or expert witnesses.
/ This law will be increasingly sue
ceSsful in its administration. il means
can be- found TO constantly reduce
/ he number OF cases in which It IS
/ thought necessary 10 employ either
counsel or expert evidence.
The Civil Administrative Code abOl-
| shed he old Board Of Arbitration,
and devoted is duties upon the In
dustrlal Commission. Il was believed
at The time that the Industrial Com
mission, sitting day by day. with the
employers aud employees equally rep
resented upon it, already engaged IN
adjusting differences Of one kind,
would thereby become better suited
to settle industrial disputes than a
BODY which was constituted for that
and no other reason
The Industrial Commission appoint.
ed TWO mediatorS-one from the en-
pioyees, the other from the employ.
ers They have been singularly sue
cessiul in preventing and settling
strikes, lndeed it can be confidently
asserted that this body has ayertcd /
and settled more strikes within tie /
State during the period OF its eYis.. /
ence, than any similar body for the /
same period OF time in the history OF /
the State
The Centennial
During the year 1915. we celebrated (
the one Hundredth anniversary CT.
GU. Statehood Al first, there was
some question as to whether or not
the plans for that celebration should
be abandoned because of the war.
it was finally decided that the cele.
brati0n could be made great vehioi3
for patriotic propaganda and there
fore II was determined to go on with
il. There We're many meetings com.
memorating historic events in all
Iar,, Of the State Without doubt
the people Of Illinois drew inspiration
from the commemoration Of its past, /.
which helped them to meet the high .
and solemn duties Of the present.
Illinois Part m lhe war.
You will recall, with justfable
prlde. the hearty response which your
Honorable Body made to the Govern.
ment at Washington Immediately up
on the seyering OF our diplomatic re-
latlons with the German empire.
From that dag until the armsttce was
signed, Illinois presented a solid
I:ont to our enemies, whether they
were found on foreign soil. or within
our own borders.
You will recall that in the early /,
days OF the war we took counsel to-
Bether over the creation OF Exemp.
ton Boards for the administration Of
the Selective Service Law The time,
within which We had to act was short.
But twelve days interviewed between
the time We were asked to nominate
members for these boards and the
time when the complete lists OF them
were in Washington. Illinois was re.
CURED to furnish 227 of these boards.
The membership OF the boards was
ISL. The duties, deyolving upon these
boards, were Of the most delicate
and exacting kind. IT was to be ex-
pected that some mistakes would be
made in the personnel Of the boards.
And yet for the entire period OF the
war. only ten members were found
and compelled to resign
The successful administration OF
the Selectiye Service Law is one of the
achievements of the war.
Those who have served upon the Tx.
omption Boards are largely entitled
to the credit for this achievement
Their labors have been exhaustive,
their embarrassments great, their
tasks new and untried, and therefore
their accomplishment was doubly
creditable and honorable.
Your Honorable Body also provided
for a State Council Of Defense. That