HARDWOOD RECORD 



37 



men are taken off piles to assist in loading a ear, or are culled I'roni 

 a truck to help load a wagon. The better plan is to ai-range the 

 disposition of labor so that each man can be kept steadily cniplii\eil. 



In this nay the record of accomplishment is more easily kept and the 

 clerical work involved in figuring the earnings of the individual work- 

 man is reduced to a minimum. — G. D. C. Jr. 



' V TO;»^iW5c;i^l<:JtoW^^6Wil^gt^ ^^it^iCT^ ig^^ 



Legislation Affecting Lumbermen 



HOX. JOIl.N M. 



At the recent annual meeting of the -Na- 

 tional Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Associa- 

 tion held at Louisville, Ky., Hon. John M. 

 Woods, chairman of the committee on legis- 

 lation, made a report on pending legislation 

 aflfeeting the lumber industry, which was 

 very exhaustive in character. Mr. Woods 

 holds that every lumberman should interest 

 himself in pending governmental and state 

 legislation and oppose the passage of bills 

 that are inimical to the well-being of not 

 only the lumber industry, but of the business 

 of the country as a whole. He holds that 

 Americans know of only one way to right 

 wrongs, and that is by lawful and constitu- 

 tional methods. He said that some of the 

 great business organizations of the country 

 have deemed it wise to discuss and act 

 on these great questions, and their effect 

 on the whole body politic, and he believed 

 it wise for lumbermen to express their views 

 on the subject of pemling legislation. 



Important excerpts from Mr. Wood 's re- 

 port follow: 



The great questions of the tariff, transpor- 

 tation, finance, labor, agriculture, employers ' liability and com- 

 pensation to employes for injury, and many others, while on the 

 surface may not seem to directly concern, interest or affect you, 

 just as surely and really should concern and do affect you as though 

 you were mentioned by name, and were personally helped or hurt. 



THE GOVERNMENT ATTACK ON THE LUMBER TRADE 



Lumber associations have done more to root out the unscrupu- 

 lous, irresponsible and dishonest in the trade than all the law 

 officers of the government ever have or ever will. 



Every lumber association, firm or corporation so far as I know 

 has said to the government : ' ' Here are our books and records ; 

 examine them all you want to; we have nothing to keep back or 

 conceal. What we have done and are doing is in accord with 

 ordinary business prudence and correct and legitimate business 

 rules. " 



The time, money and energy spent by the government in trying 

 to unearth something against the lumber trade of this country has 

 been a most dismal failure. If there is anything wrong, we have 

 the men, machinery and determination to root it out and remedy it. 

 No member of this association needs a government detective to 

 dog his heels. There is a right and a wrong way- to do things. 



THE TARIFF 



Gerniany spent twelve full years in the most exhaustive and thorough 

 investigation of the tariff before the adoption of the present policy. 

 Every manufacturer and dealer was directly asked to give his 

 views. When these were all collected and carefully examined, it 

 was gone all over again to be sure that no mistakes were made, and 

 no industry or interest harmed. What is the situation in this coun- 

 try todayl The great business interests of the country are sub- 

 stantially in the vise-like grip of one man, legislation being rushed 

 through without discussion, deliberation, examination or investiga- 

 tion worthy of the name; the results and consequences only the 

 lamp of experience can give us any idea of; fourteen lawyers, good 



WOOIiS. EAST r.V.MBlilDGE 

 MASS. 



ones, perhaps, but as incompetent to frame 

 business laws for this country as they are 

 to jnake rules for the inspection of lumber. 

 So far as the minority is concerned, they 

 might as well be sitting on the banks of the 

 Peibiloft' islands of Alaska watching the 

 seals play, for all they can do. I hold no 

 brief for any party or interest, nor do I 

 inte"nd to discuss the tariff. The immortal 

 Lincoln expressed my views on it. He was 

 asked. "What do you think about the 

 tariff.'" His reply was, "I don't pretend to 

 know much about the tariff, but I know this, 

 that if we buy our goods of the foreigner he 

 gets the money and we get the goc^ds, but 

 if we make them here we have both the goods 

 and the money." 



WORKMEN'S QOMPENSATION LAWS 



There is another matter of tremendous 

 ami vital importance to every employer of 

 labor. It is known as the workmen's com- 

 pensation law. A committee, consisting of 

 four lawyers in Congress and one editor, has 

 just made a report and a draft of a bill to 

 Congress and I regret exceedingly to say the president of the 

 United States has given it his unqualified approval. In my judg- 

 ment it is the most drastic and radical legislation in the whole 

 history of the country and will become the law of the land as 

 applied to interstate commerce unless the entire business interests 

 of the country make a most emphatic protest. Common law is 

 thrown to the winds. Massachusetts has a similar law that goes 

 into effect July 1, 1912. The principal provisions of the act 

 affect directly or indirectly almost every citizen. Except as to 

 domestic servants and farm laborers, the following defenses of 

 employers are repealed: 



First : Tliat the employe was negligent. 



Skcoxd : That the injury was oauspd by the negligence of a fellow 

 employe. 



Third: That tlie employe had assumed the risiv of the injury. 



'"The emiiloyer may lal^e his chances witli his employes with the above 

 defences repealed or he may protect himself against their ciaims, and 

 those of their representatives and dependents in case they are liilled, 

 I'itlier by becoming a subscriber to the Massacliusetts Employes Insurance 

 .\ssociation, (a mutual liability insurance company created under part 

 IV of the act) or by insuring the liability to pay the compensation pro- 

 vided for in the act, in any company. — stock or mutual — authorized to 

 do liability insurance business in Massachusetts." 



Tile amount of compensation an injured employe or his representatives 

 and dependents may recover, is roughly as follows : 



"(a) For the first two weeks after the injury no compensation ex- 

 cept reasonable medical and hospital services. 



"(b) In case of death, payments are to be made dependents equal 

 to one-half his average weekly wage extending over 300 weeks — maximum 

 amount ijiCJ.OOO. — partial dependents to receive compensation in a lesser 

 amount. If there are no dependents, expenses of burial and last sick- 

 ness up to $200 arc to be paid. 



"(c) In case of total incapacity, payments are to be made him efiua! 

 10 one-half his average weekly wage extending over 500 weeks, — maximum 

 amount $,3,000. 



■■(d) In case of partial incapacity, payments are to be made him equal 

 to oue-lialt the dilference between his average weekly wage before and 

 after the accident, but the payments in no case shall extend over more 

 than ;^00 weeks or exceed a maximum of .f.'S.OOO. 



'■(e) In case certain specified serious injuries .ire received, there shall 

 be paid in addition to the above amounts, sums ranging from a total of 



