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The Green Bag

what is a just relation between employer and employee in this field." Elective compensation acts, he de clared, have proved a serious disappoint ment, and he stated that a compulsory, exclusive compensation law should be the goal. The constitutional difficulty, he suggested, can be evaded by such taxation that the state can establish a fund to pay the damages. He suggested that an exclusive act is a reasonable safeguard against accidents in hazardous trades, and is in the nature of an exercise of the police power of the legislature under a constitution inter preted in the light of reason. It is dan gerous, he said, to place the whole re sponsibility on the employer, for danger ous conditions and their remedy depend on the co-operation with him of his employees. The Legislative Committee made a report on the subject of workmen's compensation, in which it expressed sympathy with the objects sought to be attained by the Massachusetts act of last year. The Committee was not in entire accord as to the details of a compensation system, and in view of the unsettled state of the question in all parts of the country, was not pre pared to recommend any definite change in the general principles of the act. Certain specific amendments, however, of a minor nature, designed to perfect the working of the statute, were recom mended. Three of them were quickly passed upon by the Association, but the fourth excited long debate. The fourth recommendation was aimed at the repeal of section 3, part v, of the act, reading in part as follows: "Any liability insurance company authorized to do business within this Commonwealth shall have the same right as the Asso ciation to insure the liability to pay the compensation provided for by this act."

Chairman James A. Lowell of the state Workmen's Compensation Com mission expressed his firm belief in the industrial accidents board feature of the act, and thought a thorough-going com pulsory system impracticable in Massa chusetts for the present. Chairman Hollis R. Bailey of the uniform laws com missioners expressed the hope that his board would eventually favor a com pulsory system. George W. Anderson urged the repeal of the provisions giving liability insur ance companies the right to insure lia bility, placing the enforcement of the act in the hands of a board instead of in the courts. He also urged that compulsory state insurance be substituted for the form of insurance provided for by the act. Mr. Anderson's proposals excited con siderable debate, but no definite out come being attained the meeting ad journed until December 28 for further discussion of the general topic of work men's compensation. At the adjourned meeting, the Asso ciation failed to go on record on the amendment aimed at the liability insur ance companies. After two hours' dis cussion the advisability of any action on the repeal of the section was questioned, and the matter was laid on the table for an indefinite period. At its first day's session the Association authorized its executive to adopt a code of ethics. It also recommended to Con gress the enactment of legislation for an additional federal judge for Massa chusetts. By unanimous vote provi sion was made for painting protraits of the two surviving ex-Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Marcus P. Knowlton, the portrait of the former to be placed in Boston and that of the latter in Spring field. The annual banquet was attended by