LIBERTY AND THE LIBERAL PARTY.
[To MB EDITOR OF THE " SPEOTATOR."] Siu,—I assent to every word of your article on this subject in the Spectator of November 18th. But may not the vote of the Radicals be defended on grounds consistent with Liberal principles as expounded by you ? The Employers' Liability Bill contemplates the same occurrences,—preventible accidents —from two distinct points of view. It provides compensation to the injured workmen or their families where the present law allows none, and so mitigates the severity of the calamity as it affects the innocent, and, it may be, helpless and destitute sufferer. But prevention is better than compensation ; and the certainty that preventible accidents will involve heavy claims to compensation, must tend to make employers more careful and accidents less frequent. So far as the contracting- out clause deals merely with the pecuniary interests of the injured workman, your arguments are unanswerable, and the workmen should be allowed to judge for themselves whether it is better to have statutory compensation or an insurance- fund. But as a precaution against accidents, is not the contracting-out clause a necessary part of the Bill P Where there is an insurance-fund the employer has not the same inducement to keep his works and appliances in a safe con- dition, and his doing this is more important to the community than even his paying compensation to workmen when injured. It seems to me that this consideration alone would war- rant, the inclusion of the great railway companies and all employers without exception within the provisions of the Bill, unless the Government are prepared to institute a Board of Trade inquiry into every accident which results in death or personal inquiry, and to impose a heavy fine if the employer is to blame. I admit that this argument goes the length of prohibiting employers from protecting themselves by accident insurance, which also removes from them the motive for carefulness ; but one step is enough at a time.—I am, Sir, &e.,
W. BORLAND.
[The London and North-Western provident-fund is even more liberal to the family of an employe who has been killed than to those who are injured, and that is a great guarantee against accidents, as it renders accidents extremely costly to the Company.—En. Spectator.]
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