The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-29
ROYAL OMMlssION,
Mr.. ALExANDER McD oNALD, Examined.

Mr.. ALExASDER MCDONALD, Examined.
You were going on, think, to state other
measures that you have in view which these
combinsticas have 70 effect what are they!
For one thing, more protection from danger
in the mines. At the present time, and il
has ',een 90 for the last fifteen years and
more, we have had more than ,0O0 men des-
troyed in the mines annually. We ask more
protection. We believe that If more strin-
gent Laws were passed, and there were more
responsibility on the part OF the owners, il
would have the effect Of very materially
checking that.
That would be IN instance Of the WORK
ing Of these combinations in these matters.
A Commute has sat upon that very subject
and has reported. That committee, as has
been stated by you, was TO q certain extent
brought about by the action OF the union
men npon memberss Yes; exclusively 80.
Since that committee reported has there
been any action on the part # the legisla-
ture or government, or the representatives
Of these unions, with = view Of amendiog z
the Law In accordance vita the report Of the
committeer Since the committee reported
We have been representing the matter again
and again, and colleagues Of mine who are
now here have been frequently representing
it this session.
Chairman-According to my experience,
the workman who ought 10 use safety fuses
in blasting, ana the safety lamp, often acts
contrary to the law snd regulations, prefer
ring to run the risk, and that is how acci-
dents often occurred ? | am perfectly aware
Of the recklessness of working miners, and
l am perfectly aware Of the vast amount Of
ignorance existing among them. Ny ankle
", and that Of the association of which
am at the bead, and our earnest endeavor
has been for fifteen years to have education
spread that these men may have more know
ledge, that every child should be educated
70 read and write, and 70 know the laws Of
the bodies by which be IL surrounded before
ever he enters the mine. These are our
views, and then at the present moment,
when men are so reckless, we contend thai
even were the statutory laws that now exist
carried out by the coal-owners and niue
owners Of this country, there could not be
one explosion for every hundred that occur
| The statutory law is perfectly clear. Ii says
that the mine shall be diluted and rendered
perfectly harmless vi gases under ordinary
circumstances, not only in the working
places but in the trayelng places. II tnA
I condition was adopted and the law caIrlca
out, an explosion In . coal mine would b,
utterly impossible as II would be here in thi,
room.
What is it that you desires We wan
more efficient inspection; the Aw il deaf
letter. Until the law is altered Tor raIhe
carried out, you cannot alter thar law, it i
perfect that will be a chronlc cause o
strikes. The moment that dispute enters
ali the recollection Of the destruction Of llf
goes into toe dispute, and continues it, an
It Is q chronic cause of strikes, and the ear
I nest desire Of myself and the friends W.T..
have co-operated with me in Yorkshire, /
Lancashire, aud Northumberland, and u
over the country, has 6sen sOr hite-n "a.
TO get, among Otner Causes, that cnronl
, cause Of strikes removed. Aud We bcliev'
! | at least believe, that VI .hoss slr,kes sn.c
: are 50 frequent, there would ms iApps
; one for every twenty il that cause AL
removed.
4 you get the people 70 cooperate vii
1 the law, then no Law 10 y dead Letter
: but il they will not, is must DC 30, ma
it mott To wnaI people do you rsie
, may | ask 7
8 II you say that there ought to be venul
! tion Ia tue mine, does 1t not rest with u
|, miners themselves 70 give information
3 any want Of it.? want the present Ia
carried out.
= Mr.. Mathews-Is il not optional with Il
4 miners to 70 into the pitt Certainly, but
. il also optional with them TO starve II th,
d do not 20 into the minss-
l. Ohairman-You think that some interfe
= ence il needed, so that the statute may
q made effective II that statute had De-
- effective, We could not have bad the Lan
- hill accident. II the gas had been aiiut
Is and rendered harmless We could not ha
"a had the Oaks accsdens. II tue gas mad be
s diluted and rendered harmless We could q
10 have had the Talk o. the HILL the klsca,
toe Oymouner accident In tho % coliierl
a alsogethsr more than 8 200 iives have De
a sacrificed, and if the staturory iaw thai
Of been in existence since 1850 had beesi q
nt ried out, il was utterly Impossibls Tor Tn
v 70 occur, no recklsssness Of the wOrkm
ie could hare effected il
Il Lord Escho--l gather from you and q
a. ers that the way ID which y0u think q
" the ssasats lAG Tor the prvtscslon Of 4
e passed il 1850 could be m4de operative,
y beng now inopefaeivs, 10 By incrssssd I
y spsesion, thai " 70 Say, By appointing
il greater nnmbsr Of inspectors ana sub
/. spscs0rs Yea
r / have further beard that you Do not VI
a. or anliaipats THAI these lnspsctors sho'
NJ In any way fnterfsre vito ths working
~ lhs mine s q N I nxht u thinking =
Z Z Ba sA.s i u ,l.ss sAss .lssld have