The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-12
OPEN MANY new MINES
Inspector Ghday says Kansas Fields
Have Expanded

Frank Giiday, state mine inspector
was III Topeka today, and stated that
there is unusual danger during the
coming winter of some bad mining dis
asters throughout the state.
THE danger OF mine explosions, p
said Mr.. Gilday. lis always greater in
new mines. During the present sum-
mer there has been great deal OF
new work opened up in various parts
of the coal district Especially is this
true in the region about 20 miles north
of Pittsburg. There are great num-
bers of new mines there, and they will
have to be watched carefully.
THE fact is that the mining BUSH
ness in Kansas is outgrowing the mine
inspection department We will have
to secure from the next legislature an
increased appropriation to employ
more deputy mine inspectors. Ihere IS
not a harder worked set of men in the
state than the present force of deputy
mine inspectors. They are on the go
all the time. They have to investigate
all deaths and accidents in mines and
they also have to keep a general SUI
pervision over the condition of the
mines. Take some of these big mines
and It requires the whole time of
man for a week to make a thorough
investigation. We have to go through
the whole thing, inspect every cham
Der, examine the face of the mine,
point out places Where there is danger
of trouble, and see TO 1t that the
changes are made. Sometimes it is
rather hard to follow up our orders
and see that the necessary improve
ments are put in.
s.During. my tern1sof office Ivhave re-
uufred the Great Western Coal com
pany to put in the double entry system
of mining. Up to this time that com
pany had succeeded in blufhng the
mine inspectors by telling them that
they would resist their order and take
the case into the courts. The mine
operators have contended all along
that the state mine inspector has no
authority because he is not chosen in
constitutional manner. I told the
Great Western company. which is sup
posed 10 be Missouri Pacific railroad
corporation that the double entry
would have to be put in. They said
that they would test my order in the
courts, and I told them to go ahead; ;
that If they should succeed in knock
ing out the present law 1t would
m erely have the effect of causing the
next legislature to pass a more drastic
one. They evidently concluded that
this was correct, for they did not test
the law, and the double entry has been
put in. The double entry means an
entrance to the mine through which a
draft can be secured, for the. purpose
Of keeping fresh air in all parts of
the mine.
| Il doubt whether the new federal
law prohibiting railroad company
from carrying its own coal. or other
product, will be OF much use tt viii
be very difficult to prove that any con-
nection exists between the railroad
company and the coal mining COM
pany. in spite of the fact that they
may be owned by the same people and
/ have similar officers. If the coal
company apparently is independent
and paws the same tariff rates that
other shippers do. what can be done
about it?
f'The Usage county field is in bad
shape because of railroad discrimina-
ton. The mines there are being shut
down, and very little coal is shipped
out from that locality, compared TO
the output of some years ago.
Il am now at work getting I'D sta
tistics for the biennial report It will
show the number of men employed
and the production of all the coal
mines in the state. This Information
is hard to obtain. especially for the
year previous to my term of Office.
My predecessor left nothing at all in
the way of records. and I have the
whole thing to do"