The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-12

ttyH lApL tAtseIfiAftfG dDp .FfShSttSt.oS Va
jlI,e and health Of ihe mage earnsrsi ia
the induE.-ial esia blishments, OF west
Virgins. With Few. notable cxcep-
lions. the commissioner states that en-
plorers OF labor have been as negligent
In this matter as the state. It must be
said TO the credit OF sonic OF our en-
ploYers OF labor however. that every
precaati6n Is made and great consider
alton Is given for the prevention OF nc
Itclaents and The preservation OF the llfp
md health OF their employees. and the
most modern and improved methods for
this purpose have been employed. snme
oflthen so perfect In their arrangement
and enu!pment that il would be lnpos-
EIbte fir the commissioner to offer any
suggestions for their Improvement. II
lis nscdiess to san that there are no 80
olaastss 70 report from places Of this
Kind. Tho NUN Der OF accidents that
are reho.ted almost. daily coninH 10
the notice and under the observation OF
the commissioner. prove n concluslve!y
| that there iRsa recesslty6f0r statutory
REGULATIONS for The government OF OH.
factories and other. places where labor
Is regularly performed. II Is true In
some instances that firms or corpora
lions. have paid indemnify to people
who have sustained injury. This does
not remove the cause and the danger
still exists. II the managers ofgGthefe
plants would give the same attention
itSSthe. prevention OF accidents as they
DO TO facrease of production. there
IGwould no no need OF "A law on this, sub
5tect: but unfortunately this is rarely
doneS 4 II '3i Al !. vi, (, IS X, Z, g
In the absence or interest In this
matter on thcypast Of many OF our fac
tory owners aTidithe apparent necessity
OF the state taking some action. / rec
Commend thatfn system OF factory laws
he enacted and established making pro-
vision for the prevention OF accidents.
such'as guarding all DANGEROUS ma
chinery, shatting, betting. elevators. etc.
and empowering the commissioner OF
labor or factory inspector to make sus-
gestiors and Recommendations per.
tanning thereto. II
From the clipping bureau and other
sources We have tEe account of many
fntal boiler explosions. and I deem 1t OF
Importance to call your attention 10 this
subject, In order that something may be
done by our present legislature to
guard against the possibility OF acct
dents from this cause, and to stop the
loo frequent careless handling Of steam
boilers. Those who are Interested In
this matter. .and have made an intelli-
gent study OF this subject, can find no
reason why the state should not come
to the rescue and supervise this mat
ter. Chapter 3d. of the. acts OF 1897.
relative to this question. serves no. pur-
pose. and is dead letter upon our
statute books. as evidenced few
months ago. in the city OF Wheeling. I
earnestly protest against the employ
ment OF Incompetent men for engineers
This Is q feature which enters the prob
lem of Incidents, which should not be
lost Sight OF. The commissioner. who Ia
himself an experienced engineer, In
forms me TINT he has known men and
boys In charge OF steam plants. who
knew no more about the power o.
steam or the capacity OF boilers, than
the boilers knew about them. This un-
fortunate condition OF things. however,
exists mostly In the small p!ants.whcra
they want to avoid the cost Of a skilled
or practical man, There can be no
doubt in the mind of anyone, having
that they are operated in an unsafe and
Inspection. but Ills q question In my
mind if state inspection Of steam plants
would entirely eliminate the danger. for
the reason that there are as, many dan
gerous engineers as there are danger
Gus plants. The one In charge Is re-
sponsibla for the conditions, conse-
duentis- safe steam plant becomes 4
dangerous one as soon as d dangerous
engineer Is placed hi charge. Therefore,
!, I.would recommend that the present
law relative to stationary engineering.
as, prescribed by chapter 50 Of the act;
of 1891. he abolished. and in place there
OF would Recommend the establishment
of a state board OF examiners for AFT
stationary engineers and others having
charge of steam generating apparatus.
within the state OF Yves. Virginia.
Is very important that soma prov':-
ion be made to secure the safety OF tho
people who are employed In large ouild-
iinhs. In the event of fire. Manyot the
buildings are four and five stories high,
and often on the upper floors the busiest
work rooms are found; perfect bee
hives Of industry. Fifty TO 100 boys and
girls are often found here. with no
other means of exit than the stairways.
and should n fire originate ii the lower
departments. there would be no avenue
of escape for the employees OIL the upper
floors, except the windows, thirty, forty.
fifty and sixty feet from the ground.
Instances OF this sor.. are on record and.
some provision should be made for the
safety of those people. Therefore. l
would recommend that all buildings two
stories high or more where labor is en-
ployed, be equipped with fire escapes
on the outside OF the buildings, In easy
access for the use Of the employees, in
event Of fire. ~
IA The greatest modern evils. relating to
the work OF women and children. have
arisen In connection with what has
come TO be known rs the Sweating"
system or tenement house system Of la
Dor. This Sweating" Is largely con-
fined TO the manufacture of tobacco,
cigars and clothing In tenement houses.
The evils of this system arise from the
long hours, unhealthy conditions fos-
tered for the workers and the disease
bearing goods prepared under these
conditions for the public.
E Sweating" does not exist to any APP
preclablc extent MS yet In Wess Viz
giRia, but laws should be enacted to
prevent It's obtaining foothold In the
larger cities OF the state. 10 this end
the manufacture OF tobacco. cigars and
ei9thing should be prohibited In any
room In tenement house used for the
ordinary purposes OF living. q
The strained relations now unfortu-
nately existing between capital and
labor. and which seem to be menace
Of the future. threaten II more severe
strain upon the social fabric than 1t Is
likely to be called upon to endure from,
any other source. We find to-day, us
never before In the worlds history.
tendency toward organization and con-
cettration. Great Corporations with
millions OF capital are extending their
arms to all parts Of the country and
controlling the industrial 1lnut lnion 81