The workingman's advocate., 1872-03-23
a,nNCLInEp

" Of presenting to the General Assembly
the following memorial of the Grand Coun-
al Of the Miners Benevolent and Protec-
tive Association of Illinois:
II N. Honorable, G1e He4sbsrs oJ the General
ISscnbiy Of hs State cr Illinois nor IN SIS
sion m,'.
We. the undersigned, members Of the
Grand Council Of the Miners Benevolent and
Protective Association of the State Of Illinois,
do most respectfully represent toyour honOra-
tie body that while in council met, in the city
ot Springfield, we took occasion tO carefully
consider the House Bill No 694 " for an act
providing for the health and safety of persons
employed in coal mines, and, also, the minor
ity substitute bill' on the same subject. with
4 view to seeing how far either Of said bills
would prove etheacious in promoting the health
and safety of persons employed IN coal mines.
And. in regard to the minority substitute bull,
We find that sections J., and 3 are merely de-
claratory Of general protective principles,
without enjoining any specific measures Of pro
lection As a duty to be performed by any one.
Section four, 1t ia true, provides that the
owner, agent OF lessee of any coal mine or coli
liery violating the provisions OF the foregoing
sections, shall he liable to indictment and fine
on conviction Bat, who Is to prefer the
charge. Whose duty is it to see that the
provisions of this law are carried into effect,
vague and unsubstantial are those provisions:
VIII the working miner Not very likely
If he does he knows that discharge from his
employment will be the inevitable result. And
il discharged for such cause, no other em-
ployer in the district where he resides will
give him work after being discharged for such
q cause. Thus with the alternative Of break
ing up his house and travelling like vagabond
from place to place begging for leave to work
for bread for himself and family, If he should
be bold enough to make complaint before q
grand jury, or to testify in court if an indict-
ment be found, there would not lie found one
in thousand that would not work patiently
amid the most terrible dangers and often face
death itself rather than run the risk Of I'M
poverishing his family, breaking up their hum
Die home, and exchanging that for a vagabond
life darkened by the very shadow of starvation.
Thus II even the proposed law was worth any
thing As a protection to miners. instead of be-
ing effective, 1t would remain dead letter on
the statute books No mining law in any
country was ever carried into effect except hy
and through the intervention of a proper Off
cer charged with the special duty of enforcing
such law. Men will brave multiplied dangers
ia thr mine rather than face want.
The fifth section Is obnoxious t. the obiec-
the law requiring escapement shafts to be
sunk, where an average Of more than ten men
are employed in digging coal, is entirely too
long. The deepest mines In the state could
lie provided with escapement shafts III less
than year, and yet by this section the pro-
prietors OF the most dangerous mines those
most needing escapement shafts would have
right to work their mines between six and
seven years before providing a second means
Of escape for men whose dreary and DISAGREE
able toll Is carried on daily more than six hun
ired feet below the surface Of the ground, in
hourly danger OF having their single chance Of
eyIt and entrance closed upon them by a col
lapse IN the shaft the result either Of weak
ehed and decaying timbers, or Of what is
known as "creeps" or -sqseezes" of the up
per stratitcatfons or, as is also likely, by ac-
cldent to the hosting machinery, the displace-
ment Of the slides and bunting, and many
other causes.
rs to the bill reported BY the majority Of
Your commItJee-for which report We feel
yratified-we have to say that we regard it as
! step taken in the right direction. The ball
las been carefully drawn, and Is, rs far as it
goes, calculated to promote the health and
safety Of working miners. In reference to
that hIll the council OF our association unani-
nOuslN
Resolved. That We endorse every clause Of
house bill NJ. 694, reported bv the majority
81 the committee on mines and mining deem
lng each section and every part thereof neces-
sary To the safety and health of all persons en-
ployed in coal mines, and that the sacrifice OF
the least important section, or part thereof, in
said bill, would involve the ignoring and
abandonment of what has been found to be on
ly necessary safeguards in every other mining
country in the world
In view Of all which We pray this honorable
general assembly to pass house bill No G94 a.
reported by the majority Of the committee on
mines and mining.
Respectfully submitted by the Grand Coun-
eli Of the Miners Benevolent and Protective
Association OF the State Of Illinois By order
Of said Council
JAMES W. THoRLEY. Pres.
Attested by JOHN JAMES, Sec'y.
lsEAL With the seal Of said Council
attached.
Done at Springfield, Illinois, this 18th dav
Of January, A. D. 1872.
Mr.. Springer. The honorable gentleman
from St. Clair Mr.. Hinchcliffe, has been
kind enough to inform the house who and
howmany persons shaveremonstrated against
the passage of his bill Will he now he
kind enough to inform the house as to the
probable number of persons in this State
who have petitioned for the passage Of this
bill !
Mr.. Hincheliffe. will do 50 with pleas
ure. / have not been able to examine all
the petitions and count the names, but a.
nearly as | can estimate, as many as thirty
thousand persons have petitioned this
house T; or, at any rate, that number of per
sons have been represented by the petition
ers, for the passage Of this bill.
Mr.. Springer That's enough.
And now, gentlemen of this honorable
body, let me call your attention to the sir-
ni6cance of the instrument have iust
read, which is a reflex of the opinions Of
thirty Thousand working miners Of the
State Of Illinois, expressed through their
proper ofhcers-men who know the danger
Of their calling, and who recommended the
passage of this bill as the most practical
remedy for the same. Men who feel No
keenly the necessity for the passage of this
bill, that they are intently watching our
every action in regard thereto. with almost
breathless anxiety. Men whose reDresen-
tatives, from all parts of the State. this
day fill the galleries of this house, while
the representatives Of their opponents oc-
cupy privileged places on this floor. 10
which thev are not entitled, for the pur-
pose Of lobbying against the passage Of this
bill
The Miners who have memoralized Won
in favor Of the bill are residents Of the
State, who add to your wealth by their Ia
bors those who have reconstructed aQainst
the bill are presidents and other officers Of
fifteen mining corporations, several of whom |