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Show WORKMEN'S BILLS FIND OPPOSITION Salt Luke, Feb 10 Th0 workmen work-men s compensation acts, now In tho hands of th0 senate commltteo on publls hcu.th and labor, mil with 'considerable opposition last night at a public hea lug at tho Hotel Utah. Senator Hideout's bill was considered as n..n5 too drastic, following tho Ni. i but law In many particulars, wl.Uo Representative Lund's bill wus opposed becnubo of tho exemptions to farmers and others. Those who appeared before tho commission argued ar-gued that a commission ought to bo created to study labor conditions In Utah before any such legislation was enacted. It wns also suggested that such a commission could Investigate tho possibilities of a state administered adminis-tered fund for the payment of compensations, com-pensations, the state, employers and cmploecB to contribute to this fund Senator Hideout, the author ot the bill outlined thu feature or tnu bill of which ho Is the nuthor. Ho sail that tho cmplojers opposed ills niea-suro niea-suro because the rates were too high and tho employees wero not satisfied because the rutes weie too low. He tracod the growth of such legislation legisla-tion und said that hi Is had been enacted en-acted in 24 Btntes. Tho Hideout bill does not prolclo for a commission hut makes It elective with tho employer em-ployer whether ho shall como under its provisions. Any dispute between tho employer nnd the employee in regard to an injiry or tho payment under tho schedule of compensation may ho settled by tho district court on an order to Bhow causo Instituted by tho employee. Objections Raised 1 L. Williams, attorney for tho Oregon Short Lino, raised tho question ques-tion as to whether the act was constitutional. con-stitutional. Ho said that me stato constitution provided that tho rights of action to recover dnmages for Injuries In-juries resulting In death Blmll novor bo abrogated and that tho amount ro-overabto ro-overabto shall not bo limited by statutory provisions. Senator Hideout Hide-out said that by making tho syBtom elective that ho believed It would bo overcome. Ocorgo S. McAHster, representing tho Manufacturers' Association, said that tho members ot tho association wuro In favor of a compensation act but a special commltteo appointed by tho association to Btudy tho Hideout hill hnd a number of amendments to submit. J. Will Knight, of tho Provo Wool en Mills, said that ho fca-ed such legislation would tend to wiUen me bieech between capital and labor. Ho Bald that moving pictures showing tho capitalist kicking tho laboror out ot his houso becauBo ho was unnblo tn nav tho rent was a bad thing, say ing thero wns too mutli exploitation of the differences botween labor and capital. As to Mining Mr. Knight said that in mining tho employer paid insurance through tho fact that bo paid twlco as much for ' woilc underground becnuso of tho. risk nnd ho feared that If a miner know ho would rccolvo compensation ho would bo careless nnd tho employer em-ployer would not Bet tho benefit ot his judgment. "In coal mines wo would In thrco years havo more men on our pension list that on tho pay roll," ho said, "This condition would Impair tho credit of mining companies so that wo cou'd not get credit for n pick handle S0 I say, If wo pass n mens-uro mens-uro Mo th)s let it bo ono that wl'.l bo sultablo to tondltlons in Utah and to all tho industries of tho Btato." K. II. Crltchlow, representing a number ot mining companies, un:d tho appointment of u commission to Investigate- labor conditions nnd the possibilities of stnto admtnlstored fund. C. B. Allen objected to tho provisions pro-visions in tho bills which exempted tho farmors. Ho said that if tho farmers wero put under tho act thnt tho bill would not pass. - - |
