The Philipsburg mail., 1899-05-26
LAWS AFFECTING MINERS.


LAWS AFFECTING MINERS.
4 Colorado Legislature Enacts Measures Re
gtrding Sevaral Important Matters.
Many important measures drafted in
| the interest of miners were introduced
in the Colorado Legislature and sew
eral became laws, the most important
of which is the Moore eight-hour law.
by the terms of this act the oper-
atOrs or all classes of mining property
are required to employ their workmen
Tor shifts not to exceed eight hours
each, and the same provision applies
to smelters and other works for the re-
duction and refining of ores. This law
is expected to work general reforma.
ton among the owners and operators
or mines, smelters and some classes Of
mills, in which men have often been
compelled to work shifts of sucil
length as to materially shorten their
lives. 1t was asserted when the bill
was pending before the Legislature
that mine owners have required their
employees to work underground from
early dawn until dark, thus leaving
them no opportunity to do more than
catch fleeting glimpse of the light of
day.
In the House the Moore bill went
through the breakers with rush. but
i'll the upper branch, where are repre-
sented more property interests than in
the other it met with sturdy and pro-
tracted opposition. There an attempt
was made to so modify the measure as
t. except the coal producing proper
ties from its provisions, but this was
voted down, and the bill passed with
a good majority. Its progress was
watched with great interest by the Ia
Dor element of the entire state. Though
effective, the bill is short, covering on
ly fourteen lines of the regular printed
form. Its full text follows:
BE it enacted by the General AS.
sembly of the State of Colorado:
Section 1. The period of employ
ment Of wOrkingmen in all under
ground mines or workings shall be
eight hours per day. except in cases OF
emergency where life or property is in
| imminent danger.
Sec. ,. The period of employment
of workingmen in smelters and in all
other institutions for the reduction
and refining of ores or metals, shall be
eight hours per day except in cases of
emergency, where life or property is in
imminent danger.
Sec. ). Any person, body corporate.
agent, manager or employer who shall
violate any of the provisions of sec
tions 1 and . of this act shall be deemed
guilty of misdemeanOr, and upon
conviction shall be punished by fine
of not less than $50 or more than $500,
or by Imprisonment not more than six
months or by both fine and impriscn-
ment."
The bill did not carry an emergency
clause, and hence will not become ef-
fective for ninety days from the time
of becoming a law. Governor Thomas
affixed his signature late in the legis
lative session.
The Care of Explosives.
One Of the laws enacted by the last
General Assembly is that relating to
the proper care of high explosives in
mines, found in section 20 of the act
amendatory of the act establishing
bureau of mines, House bill No. 212.
The act provides:
FirSt-That explosives must be stored
in magazine provided for that pur-
pose alone; said ma agaZine to be placed
far enough from the working shaft.
/ tunnel or incline to insure the same
remaining intact in the event the en-
tire stock of explosives in said maga
zine be exploded: that all explosives in
excess of the amount required for a
shifts work must be kept in said mag
aZine; that no powder or other eXplo-
sive be kept or stored in underground
workings where men are employed;
that each mine shall provide and EN-
ploy suitable device for thawing or
warming powder and keep the same in
condition for use; that oils, candles or
other combustible substances shall not
be kept or stored in the same magazine
with explosives.
Second-That the commissioner OF
mines shall have authority to regula te
and limit the amount of nitro powder
stored or kept in general supply stores
in mining camps or mining towns
where there is no municipal law gov
erning the storage of same.
Third-That oils. candles and other
infammable materials shall be stored
or kept in IA building erected for that
purpose, and at safe distance from
the main buildings and at safe dis
tance from the powder magazine. and
their removal from said building for
use shall be in such quantities as are
Il day only.
Fourth - That no person shall,
whether working for himself or in the
employ of any person, company or cor
polatiOn, while loading or charging a
hole with nitro glycerine powder, or
other high explosives, use or employ
any steel, iron or other metal tamping
bar. nor shall any mine manager, su.
perntendent, foreman or shift boss, or
other person having the management
or direction Of mine labor, allow or
permit the use of such steel iron or
other metal tamping bar ny employees
under his management or direction.
The act also provides for the lining
of all SHAFTS, and for regulations gov
erning the hOisting of buckets and
cages, for the employment of cOmpe.
tent hosting engineers, for a uniform
code of signals to be established by the
commissioner of mines, for adequate
protection against fire, for properly
protected ladder ways, for safe exits,
! of y;p1cv c,fo