The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-02-02
A MINING Law NEEDED

To More Fully Protect tho Safety of west
| virginia Miners.
10 the Editor ctMs htLilemer.
SIR:-l notice that house bills 70 and
SIS, introduced by Mr. Sturm, OF Marion
county, havo been reported bacl; to tho
house with tho Recommendation that
they should not pass. Ono OF these bills
provides for tho appointment OF au ex.
aiming board BY the governor consist.
Ing OF three practical miners and two
mining engineers. This board Is to OK.
anime applicants for the office OF niue
inspectors aud certify TO the governor
all persons they may find qualified for
tho positions. from which certified
name, the appointments are to be made.
It also provides for the examination OF
m,uo bosses and fire bosses by board
OF examiners consisting OF the mine iu-
spec.or OF the district, one miner aud
one operator, or superintendent OF
mines, and that after January, 1896, no
person shall act as mine boss or fire
boss in any coal mine in West Virginia
who does not hold certificate OF COM
potency or OF seeyice.
That the employment OF certifcatei
mine officials has been attended with
increased safety in states and
foreign countries can easily DO proven
by reference to the mine inspectors re.
ports, yet 1t is Understood tina. there
are members OF the legislature in se.-
sion at Charleston, who are on tho i'm
portant committee on mines and min
ing. who have opposed such law for
West Virginia. It seems that the great
progress already made in protecting
life and in securing greater economy in
the production Of coal In states and
countries whore tho thorough education
and training OF mine officials has been
required Tor long period, is not ~ gen.
orally known as Il should oe. In Grea,
Britain. where the subject OF mine leg
ls!auon has been experimental and I'M
proved upon with most satisfactory re-
suits Tor forty years, il Is admitted that
the better educated the mine officials
arc the better it is for both employers
and employees. The ratio OF the num-
Der OF deaths from accidents to the
number Of persons employed show that
the occupation OF miner is now more
than twice as safe as it was At the com.
mencenent OF mine inspection in Eng
land.
Tho average ratio during the opera
ton OF the first act, tina, is from 1850 10
1855, was one death for every 23S per.
sons employed. Under the operation
OF the second act, from 1855 to 1860, the
ratio was one death for 25S persons en-
ployed. Under the operation OF the
third act, from 1860 to 1872, the ratio
was one death for every 3l2 persons en-
ployed. In 1872 the fourth nc. was
passed. under the provisions OF which
manager, were required to hold certid.
Gates OF competency, and since tina,
time the ratio advanced from one death
TO every 3l2 persons TO one death to
every i66 persons employed. The fifth
act was passed in 1877 and the ratio OF
deaths since then has been one for
every 55S persons employed, and for the
year lSS2 there was one death for every
6I6 persons employed.
During the SAME year in West Viz
gina coal mines there was one person
KILLED Tor every iS9 persons employed.
In the bituminous mines OF Pennsyl.
vania one to SIS; in Illinois. one to 500,
which shows that the mines in West
Virginia arc more carelessIy managed.
From the mine inspectors report for
the First district of West Virginia for
the year ended June 30, 1891, it shows
that there were fourteen deaths and the
number OF men employed was 1923.
This proves tina. there was ono death
Tor every PAS men employed, and for
the Second district, for the same year,
there are twenty-five deaths reported
and for 1890, twenty-five deaths re.
ported. The number OF men employed
was 200. making the death rate one for
every 3l5 men employed in 1891. and