The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-07-19

OF MINERS !
The New Law Went IntO Effect on
Wednesday.
PROTECTION AGAINST INCOMPETENT
Full Text Of the Measure Providing For the
Examination Of Persons Seeking
Employment as Miners in
the Anthracite Region.
Many Changes Made.

Mine LabOrers did some effective work at Har-
risburg during the sessions of the Legislature,
and among the most important pieces of
legislation enacted in the interest OF mine
workers was AN act to protect the lives and
limbs of miners from the dangers resulting
from incompetent miners working in the
anthracite coal mines Of this Commonwealth.
and to provide for the examination of persons
seeking employment as miners in the an
thncite region and to prevent the employ
ment of incompetent persons as miners in the
anthracite coal mines, and providing penal
ties for violation of the same"
The law went into effect on Wednesday
last, when Governor Hastings attached his
signature. In this county the old examining
boards were reappointed by Judge Bechtel.
and they will be governed by the provisions
of this act in the examination of those ap-
plying for miners certificates
Representative Miller introduced the bill.
and it is an advance on the Gallagher bill
Under the provisions of the new law no one
can receive miners certificate unless he can
answer intelligently and correctly at least
twelve questions in the English language
pertaining to the requirements of a practical
miner. This ought to, aud probably will
prevent great many Of the abuses that
iourished under the old law
Those working in and about the mines
should familiarize themselves with the pro
visions of this important piece Of legislation
The full text of the law follows
Section 1. BE it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives Of the Common
wealth OF Pennsylvania in General Assembly
met, and II Is hereby enacted by the authority
of the same, That hereafter no person whom
sOeyer shall be employed or engaged in the
anthracite coal region Of this Commonwealth
as miner in any anthracite coal mine with
out having obtained certificate of com
potency and qualification so to do from the
Miners Examining Board" of the proper
district and having been duly registered as
herein provided
Section 2, That there shall be established
in each of the eight inspection districts in
the anthracite coal region, a Board to be
styled the Miners Examining Board" of
the.......,. district to consist of nine miners
who shall be appointed from among the most
skillful miners actually engaged in said
business in their respective districts and
who mnst have had five years practical ex-
perience in the same. Tho said persons so
appointed shall each serve for a term of two
years from the date on which their appoint
ment takes effect and they shall be appointed
upon or before the expiration Of the term of
the present members of the Mining Ex.
amiping Board" for their respective districts
and shall hold the office for the term for
which they are appointed or until their sue
ccss0rs are duly appointed and qualified and
sahll receive as compensation for their SER
vices three dollars per day for each day actu-
ally engaged in this service and all legiti-
mate and necessary expenses incurred in at
tending the meeting of said Board under the
provisions of this act and no part of the
salary of said Board or expenses thereof shall
be paid out Of the State Treasury
Each of said Boards shall organize by elect
ing one OF their members president and one
member as secretary and by dividing them
selves into three subcommittee for the more
convenient discharge of their duties each of
said committees shall have all powers herein
after conferred upon the Board and when
ever IN this act the words Examining
Board" are used they shall be taken to in
clude any Of the committees thereof
Each member Of said board shall, within
ten days of their appointment OF being ap-
praised Of the same take and subscribe an
oath or affirmation before a properly qualified
officer OF the county in which they reside
that they will faithfully and impartially dis
charge the duties of their office.
Any vacancies occurring in said board shall
be hlled in the manner herein before provided
from among only such as are eligible for
original appointment.
Section 3. Each of said examining boards
shall designate some convenient place within
their districts for the meeting of the several
committees thereof, of which due notice shall
be given by advertisement in two OF more
newspapers Of the proper county and so
divided as to reach as nearly as practicable
all the mining districts therein, but in no
case shall such meeting be held in a build
Each of said committees shall open at tbe
designated place of meeting book Of regis
tTatiOn In which shall be registered the name
and address of each and every person duly
qualified under this act to be employed as a
miner IN an anthracite coal mine. And it
shall be the duty Of all persons employed as
miners to be properly registered and in case
OF removal from the district i'm which a
miner is registered it shall be his duty In he
registered in the district to which he removes.
Application for registration only may be
sent by mail to the board after being prop.
eTly arrested before any person authorized to
administer an oath or affirmation in the
county in which the application shall be sub
lect TO such regulation as may be prescribed
by the boards, but in no case shall any appli-
cant be put to any unnecessary expense i'm
order to secure registration
SeetiOn 4. Each applicant for examination
and registration and for the certificate herein
after provided shall pay a fee Of one dollar to
the said board and fee Of twenty-five cents
shall be charged for registering any person
who shall have been examined aud registered
by any other said board, and the amount de-
rived from this source shall be held by said
boards and applied TO the expenses and
salaries herein provided and such as may
arise under the provisions of this act and the
said act, and the said boards shall report an
nually 20 the court Of common pleas of their
respective counties and the Bureau of Mines
and Mining ali moneys received and dis
bursed under the provisions Of this act, to-
gether with the number of miners examined
and registered under this act aud the number
who tailed 10 pass the required examination
Section 5. That it shall bo tho duty of
each Of the said boards to meet once every
month and not ofener, and said meeting
shall be public, and if necessary, the meet
ing shall be continued to cover whatever por-
tiOn may be required of period of three
days in succession and examine under oath
all persons who shall desire 10 be employed
as miners in their respective districts and
said board shall grant such persons as may be
qualified certificates of competency or quail
fication which will entite the holder thereof
TO be employed as and 20 do the work of
miners as may be expressed in the said certi-
ticate, and such certificates shall be good and
sufficient evidence of registration and COM
potency, under this act. and the holder
thereof shall be entitled 20 be registered
without an examination in any other of the