210 The Farmer's Business Handbook 



and reasonably safe and sufficient rules, instruc- 

 tions and regulations for the guidance of the ser- 

 vants. If he does this he will not be liable for 

 any injuries which may come to a servant from 

 negligence, for the negligence will be that of the 

 injured party or of one of his fellow-servants, be- 

 cause the master has done all that is required of 

 him. This matter is now regulated by statute in 

 New York. 



n. mechanics' liens 



A "lien" is a hold or claim which one person 

 has upon the property of another as security for 

 some debt or charge. Under our law there are 

 several kinds of liens, but probably the most im- 

 portant is the class known as mechanics' liens. 

 These are of great importance to carpenters, 

 builders, masons, plumbers, painters and the 

 like, and the provisions relating to securing them 

 are so simple, and the liens so beneficial, that 

 every man should be in a position to take ad- 

 vantage of them if he deem the payment for his 

 services in any case doubtful or insecure. 



The statutes in most states provide that any 

 contractor, sub-contractor, laborer or material 

 man who performs labor or furnishes material 

 for the improvement of real property with the 

 consent, or at the request of the owner or his 

 agent, or of the contractor or sub-contractor, 



