Book Review

Canada and the United States

Disturbed by the rise of corporate capitalism and heightened conflict between labor and capital, reformers during the Progressive era sought to restrain big business, ensure social stability, and establish uniform standards for the fair treatment of working people. In this perceptive study, David A. Moss considers the activities of the American Association for Labor Legislation (AALL), a pioneering advocacy group whose efforts to enhance the security of wage earners helped lay the groundwork for the modern welfare state.	1
Founded in 1906, the AALL was spearheaded by leading turn-of-the-century economists such as Richard T. Ely, John R. Commons, and John Andrews. Situating themselves between labor and capital, these men regarded themselves as "scientific stewards" who would objectively apply their expertise to the study and resolution of critical social problems. AALL activists were guided by several key assumptions. They believed that worker unrest was caused by a profound sense of insecurity over fluctuation in income and living standards. Therefore, if workers received benefits that would offer them assurances of security, they would be less volatile and disinclined to embrace radical political alternatives.	2
Rejecting more intrusive forms of state intervention, the AALL sought to use the profit motive in order to prod employers to assume greater responsibility for the security of their employees. As Commons argued, employer behavior would change only if businesses were forced to bear the cost for accidents, injuries, and unemployment. As a result, the AALL sought legislation that would compel employers to improve working conditions by creating financial incentives for them to adopt a preventive approach.	. . .