Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-02-14
MINE INSPECTION.

ED1ToR NTEILIdENoER.-While the
Missouri general assembly Is In session
1t wilsbe more than opportuns to urge
Euponaour Legislators the necessity of
reviving and amending the law regard
ing mining inspectors in counties where
mining is going on: This law il indis-
tinct, in. some of. its provisions even
absurd, land, if not more, properly de-
fined such an Office of mining Inspector
will be an unnecessary burden up
on taxation.1 This law, for instance,
putting tho Inspector under the heavy
bond Of 5000, his salary to be fixed
by the county court, or pay him $5 q
day for actual employment in the
mines, leaves it just to the discretion
of the said inspector, how often in
the year he will make his rounds in
the mines for inspection? Now, we
have inLafayette county too many small
mines or others only worked at inter-
walls during the year, that with such
amounts to the same, whether they are
| inspected or not, 1t would do no earthly
good except foolish inspector may
try to show his over officiousness, and
under cover of that heavy bond extract
as much as he can get from the. county
treasurer. Some Of my very esteemed
friends who have paid some attention
to the industry of mining and its inn
preston upon the working powers OF
the community at large have suggested
the idea that it should be made the duty
of mining operators to pay for such
an inspector, but it hardly can be
meant in earnest, that l have to kiss
that whip which is intended to obi
gate me, at least to keep me straight
and in compliance with the law, The
Missouri statute is fixing distinctly the
duties and rates, party has to observe
when opening mine, and such party
not complying with the provisions o
I the law i'll making itself liable to indict
mcnt insuring conviction before court
And are not the very points in the law
of the state marked out to the operator
tor observation in his mines in closes
connection with the interest of th'
2 operator as well as with the protection
of the miner3 Will or can, for Instance
the miner work in a mine without tn,
necessary ventilationp And in-sease
of poor ventilation in mines or tn
ventilation is getting poor, will offer
] will saycthe known remedies In tn
science OF mil ling have been exhausted
the mining inspector, if he were mos
effective one, will stand there as help
less as the operators, and the miner
will have to abide our time until othe
means of communication for air hav
been effected, which often may tax
. years TO do. Il
While, no doubt, our mining dis
tiicts in Lafayette county exercise
great influence upon public life an
q welfare; necessarily miner as well q
operator ought to have all possible pre-
lection and encouragement by law
= Why then force an inpector upon ther
u. with imaginary duties? If one is need
ed let him only interfere when calle
on, anu not leave it to his dlscriminf
ton to interfere or not; and in cases {
alteration between miner and opers
tor, make the operator pay the cost
for the inspector 10 interfere, if he
: proven guilty or neglectful, Or put hil
under fine, but put the miner under
penalty too, If his complaint in sue
}; cases are without foundation, to max
= things binding and mutual to eithe
, party. =~ X.