Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-04-20
KANSAS MINING REPORT.


| i'F'hds ha<., April l3-iSpeClHl) 1he
annual report Of Bennett Brown, state
mine inspector for Kansas. has jus, been
issued. II is a book OF sl7 pages and con
tains fun ana complete statistics OF every
thing pertaining to the mining industry OF
| the state
During 1895 there were produced from all
| OF the Kansas coal mines SlaoSt2 tons. of q
| Nalu. cf S5p.iH This shows a falling on
| from lsoi OF ieo.S7l tons and Of 81 500 i3S
| Daring 1895. a.c2i men and ss5 boys were en-
| ployed IN the Kansas mines as against
| 10.dSs in lSai.
| Coal Is produced in but twenty OF tho los
! counties of Kansas. The largest producer
| Is crawford county. followed IN turn by
| 'hfrokee. Usage and L.avcnNorth The
| total investment In mining plants. exclusive
| " real estate and tenement houses. Is
The number OF fatal accidents during tho
| year l|i was twenty-siN. or one lie for
| every l'>SS tons produced This year
there were ten fatal accidents or one Nfe
| Tor every 3ieNi tons produced. II may be
OF interest TO compare This record with that
life for every 237 $50 tons. Missouri lsai
one lie for every i67.s'S tons Iowa 1894
one NE for every 1885 tons. and col
orado. 1891, one life for every 1850 tons
Tn number Of non-fa,a, accidents was
OF these proved fatal within a few weeks
after the accident Tho mines are general
ly IN good condition and there is an evi-
cent desire manifesto by most Of the
healthy.
\ series Of tables rs civen in the report
which display the earnings Of miners at
The various mines. The average earning
per annum Is something less than s3'H. and
The report says:
1T iS not so much the amount earned per
day-although every man who knows any
thing Of the danger ana discomfort at
tendant upon work In coal mine viii adj
NIT IL 81 far too low-'rst distresses and
pauporizes but the number Of days men
have an opportunity m work n any man
thinks the word paur-riz- Is too stroug.
let him take his wife ant TWO or thren
children. rent a house. support his family. |
send his chilirs nto school and keep out Of
debt on loss than 81 rer day. and he Will
soon find his spirit Of independence getting |
70 a very low ebb."
After calling attention TO the fact that |
Kansas has opened more mines than the |
demand Tor coal warrants. aud showing |
that the mines now opened would produce |
10 cHvp tons annually. " run to thcir |
capacity the report SAYS
"a part Of this Development may be
plus cash or piece OF coal land Of their |
own and have been tempted to open a
COMPANIES which practically. control tho |
trade. who sink equip and develop large
rtcducing and employing mines only 10
allow them to stand idle altogether or
remain open and In operation less than
onc-half the time. Tho large operators
rre PbrSG.a ba% .o onis, ne rsIT2Sg "a s
whcn they invest money developing mines
which they know positively cannot be
kept IN operation.
1T has b,cn pretty thoroughly dcmon-
stra'ed a. least In coal-pfotucing trade,
that the less work that man can get TO
perform ana IN" less money he earns-in
fact, ~" poorer he is-tho more humble
eni suhservient he becomes. ami there
fore the more subject Go control Not only !
Is this true. but also tho additional fact /
that the more difficult 10 becomes Tor him
to secure work sufficient to enable him
TO frr9 those dependent upon him the more
suspicious and Jealous h, becomes Of his
fellow workman with whom hs ls virtually |
Cnntrudlug for self-Uros, rVHtiou, thus r'u-
d'rinr him Incapable of organized effort
10 resist tncroachmsuts ON his own rights 4
or 10 assault those Of others.
That corporations must have large
dnl continuous supply ~ coal 10 meet !
their own necessities or MI their contracts
it'oEnlE" iUls principle. ls not To be doubt
ei. they therefore guard against .mhar.
raS~msUt and loss from strikes or other
cause hy creating AMI maintaining a
strat"r source Of supply than Is AZ any
iliut. un1tr normal conditions. necessary. |
This pNcossiye development. designed 10
guard against emergencies has resulted |
IN tu.uuUs competition. So that an act In
tended Tor protection has actually become
= measure OF destruction 10 an concerned |
This r. the condition ~ affairs that he
gets trusts. with al their attendant OWLS. |
III the foregoing is the cause tho REM
tfcpi"t hy the miners of kausa. at "a
mass meeting in Weir city Kas Novem- |
JHt ., 1888, when they resolved that We |
are opposes - strikes, except as last |
roatment az the hands OF our employers |
fhis is the proper spirit. and tho operator |
lD.ng relieved from III" fear Of having "a |
art ~ his supply suddenly cut on IAN |
apia invf ,,ea. 70 the requirements Of
MS business