Accident Insurance.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 165, 24 July 1901, Page 3

Accident Insurance.

’ j (To the Editor of the Times.) > Sia, —In your Monday’s issue I noticed a letter over the signature of F. Lowndes, in which he desired to reply to my letter of Tuesday last (though xvhere the reply came in I fail to see). Mr Lowndes evidently fails to discriminate between the employers’ liability and the Workers’ Compensation Act. The former I regard as a most necessary and highly beneficial measure, the latter as a really pernicious piece of legislation. Now, Sir, lam thoroughly at one with Mr Lowndes as far as compensation for accidents arising from tho carelessness or indifference of an employer to provide the proper tools, materials, scaffolding, etc., for the proper carrying out of any work is concerned. All this was fully provided for in the Employers’ Liability Act, but the Act now under review makes an employer liable for accidents caused by tho gross carelessness, or sheer stupidity of a workman. This, Sir, is whero employers and the general public have good cause of complaint. I can assure Mr Lowndes I have no desire to get “ public approval,” or to “ stick j up for the rights of working men” (or j employers either) if those “ rights ”or j supposed “rights” work mischief and ruin to others. Every man has a duty to perform to himself, to his family, to his neighbor, to God. If this is done there will be little need of Compensation Acts. —I am, cte., F. Stafford.

(To the Editor of Times.) Sin, —In answer to New Chum’s letter kindly let me ask him a question or two. Ho says that a laborer in this country needs no champion, for he looks after himself very well, while his children can as a rule learn music and painting and what not. Well, does Mr Now Chum blame the working man who strives to bring his children up in a respectable and honest way, so that some day, when he is not capable of helping himself and wife, his children may bo holding a position from which they can keep their parents from having to depend on charity ? We do not want Mr Now Chum to think for a moment that the top of the tree can only bo attained by capital, as we have a Labor representative there now who knows what the workors want. —I am, etc., F. Lowndes.