The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-02-25

remain much as they are at present The
Home Office bas uniformly shown. no mat
ter Who occupied it, little inclination to
trouble itself with mining affairs and the
present Hone Secretary does not appear to
be any Improvement upon bis predecessors,
as witness bis delay in dealing with bis
promised Mines Regulation Bill Every
year coal and iTonstOne mining Is beng car
ried On with increased chances ol danger 10
the miner in consequence OF the increased
depth of the mlncs Tue rapidly increasing
Importance Of our mining industries and
their cognate branches is another argument
in favor Of a Minister Of Mines
In 500 the quantity Of coal put out was
SU,O42, 698 tous, aud in ] 500 il was about
100000, 900 tons or about 81 per cent
mere The estimated value of coal put OUT
in the former year wa 900, GA and in
the latter L,23. Sj6.ss2. In 1868 thd
number Of lives lost in our coal ucs was
984. M 500 fewer than IN 1866 The IutIA
quantity Of coal raised in britain IN th9
latter wear was lOO,72S, $50 tons, and 81
thr number VI lives lost way the exception
ally high G-urc u 1881, W find that iot
every $751; tons Of coal put out one III
was sacrificed Tn Scotland for that yea-
l2,034 G3S tons Of fuel were raised and e
lives lost, M that I'm each person killed,
l6l,252 tons were procured Thl, vast
increase 10 the output ofcoal ha- hccn art,us.
MI with a great increase 10 the nuuhr. ri
those engaged ln thc work In 1866 Tie
total number ui coal miners cmIIuycd W.,
32o,663, and in lA63 about So. 600 IF
WI In Indie -haIc miners showing al il
crease ot nine pcr cent. I'D four years. Tie
increase 10 iron,lonc mining Is a, lcmarkl
hlo as in coal. About tho end ol the last
century some 1900 tons Of pi4-irou plt-
duced at Carron, the only place IN Scotland
where the smelling NJ iroustouc was carried
ON. Last year there was A million an,t A
Aaii tons Vt plg iron produced in Scouai,i,
which gayc employ mcnt w $4,000 man.
ll,uoO 81 whom were employed W. cxtr.yt
iug lhc crude orc from thr mine. TIL hd
dition Up coal and iron We have IL VII, cogD.
try mines Of tin, lead, and copper. all of
which would come under the SUPERVISION
of q Minister of Mines. who would D. e.
sponsblc 10 Parliament and the country
for the proper working Of mines Of cvsrv
description. Il Is not likely that 5lr
Bruce will, in Dis Mines Regulat l.ll.
have a clause for creating a M.n.stet Of
Mines; but the miners and mine ownSrs
ought to unite on this point, at least, and
bring pressure 70 bear on the Government
and ii this is done Mr. Bruce will, no doU6t,
find IL convenient to comply with a proeo-
Val that has 40 much 10 commend it 70 all
thoughtful minds If we had a Minister
w Mines Inspection would become a reg
ty ana many of WHY anomalies that now *
I,t III connection with mining operations
would disappear under The yigilant reIte-
sentative W Secretary If State who wo9ld
bring aIi his energy 70 thc discharge Of his
duties II thc proposal Is taken Up With
spirit hy those who arc most interested ID
lis success, there is \ probability tbat ian
important ana necessary addition 70 .he
great oth'cs ri State Will be made in jhe
appointment ot Minister Of Mines. (