The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-08
THE PHILBIN BILL.
A Plan to Elevate Bureau of Mines
to Dignity of Department.
Special from a staff Correspondent.

Special from a staff Correspondent
Harrisburg, Feb. THE Philbin bill
to elevate the present bureau of mines
to the dignity of a department was
introduced in the house today by the
aggressive young member from the
Fourth Lackawanna district.
1t provides that the department shall
be charged with the supervision and
execution of the mining laws of the
commonwealth, and the care and pub
lication Of the annual report of the
inspectors of coal and other mines.
The chief officer of the department is
to be denominated as the chief of the
department of mines and shall be ap-
pointed by the governor. with the con-
sent of the senate, for four-year
term, at salary of $4,000 a year and
travelling expenses.
He shall have at least ten years prac-
tical experience in the working and
ventilation of coal mines, and both a
practical and scientific knowledge of
all noxious and dangerous gases found
in mines.
He Is to be invested with the same
authority as mine inspectors in the
matter of enforcing the mine laws. and
operations, subject to such action be-
ing renewable by the governor on
appeal.
On petition of ten miners or three
operators he shall have a court of
common pleas In the inspectors dis
trict conduct an investigation of any
charges of neglect or incompetency
brought against an inspector. If the
charges are proven to the satisfaction
of the court, the same shall be certified
to the governor and the office shall be
declared vacant
The chief of the department shall
tranmit a synopsis of the inspectors
annual reports to the governor on or
before March Is of each year and cause
the reports to be published. The in
spectors' reports must be in before
Feb. 21 of each year. Monthly reports
are also required. the form to be pre-
scribed by the chief.
Board of Examiners.
The board of examiners for the ex-
animation of applicants for mine in
spectors, the board for the examina-
tion of applicants for mine foremen
and assistant mine foremen in the an
Nhl uiblliCt, lllt bDdIu iOI tHt th .
animation of applicants for first and
second grade certificates in the btu
minous region, and the board styled
the miners examining board for ap-
plicants for certificates OF competency
as miners. shall send to the chief of
the department of mines the manu- .
scripts and all other papers of appli-
cants, together with the tally sheets
and the solution of each question as
given by The examining board, which
shall be filed in the department as pub
| lie documents. Certificates i'm all the
| foregoing cases shall be issued by the
| chief of the department, where they
are now issued by the examiners. A
| three dollar fee shall be paid for fore
mems and assistant foremen's certifi-
Gates in the anthracite region. or for
| first grade and second grade foremen's s
| certificates In the bituminous region.
| A miners certificates is to cost one
| dollar.
| The chief is empowered to name an
assistant, who shall be a mining en-
gineer, at a salary of $1,000 per annum;
two clerks, one from each region, who
shall have some knowledge of mining,
each at a salary of 81 400 a year: a
stenographer at sl.40O a year. and a
messenger, who shall have some
knowledge of mining, at 5000 a year.