The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-11-15

j ABOUT ths anthracite mines. N va,
I! me hrst place l ever worked I'm
/ Soai mine: l was n 'nipner', trim.
sne lamps Tor the miners. THAI
| 80, Few years ago, too. / won't n,
nKe Mr. Gfllte, l am not going fo ,eII
you how long l have been in = mine
my age. ou'
NOW, gentlemen. l am not roin.
20 continue TO talk all the Afternoon
III. tnere are few points would
ttNa 10 cail attention to as to tha
present laws in the State of IVES,
virginia. 1 have read those laws
ever several times. l cannot 90,
very much the matter with them
OUT was surprised to learn that there
Vas no law by which the laws could
Do enforced. ] heard that rpm,rtsN
1t is the first time in nv lie tha, n :
ever heard that YOU would have To
pass n law TO enforce the laws thar
we're made. Each and every one Of
Shosa laws. as l understand them
;ould be enforced by the Chief Mine
inspector. They were made for his
suieancs, Tor the protection OF life
ana limb and property of mines as
understand them, but from the re-
MARKS or one of the INSPECTORS this
afternoon, learned that those laws
could not be enforced. and that men
could continue to work in dangerous
places FOR all time. or until such
times as an accident happened be-
IoIe mere could be anything done to
stop them. l hope that Is not the
case. MY idea OF mining law is
ihls; Make 1t plain so that eoch
and every individual can understand
exactly what 1t means Word tho
language in the language OF the
miner n you please. so that when he
reads it ho knows exactly what n
hn
there and then; also in a very plafn
language so that he will know what
IL means, and not go on and make
quito number of laws, and then in
tho wind-up of the book state the
penalty. do not think that that is
good idea in mining laws. That
might be all right in general laws
but when you make law or a clause
put the penalty right there SO they
VIII Know what the penalty is IL the
clause Is violated. 1t does not take
very much more time or type to do
It, and when he reads the law he not
only gets the impression on his mind
OF what 1t is, but gets also what the
penalty is II he violates 1t.
am not In favor of heavy penal-
lies for man leaving n door open.
he could be punished. When man
Will go along and deliberately throw
a door wide open and go on and
leave 1t that way, there are men that
Will do that, and the only way that
che miners In the upper end will
know anything about it Is when the
smoke won't go away they know
door is open or something is the
matter down below. He should be
punished. That Is all right. On the
other hand l notice that where mon
destroy property penalties are light,
a man who will go to n mine and de-
hberately destroy property there Is
not any penalty in my mind too
great with the exception of execut-
ing him; i would not want that done,
because he does not know what he
is doing. Many of them. when they
destroy something about the mines.
They do not know what lives they
are endangering by doing it. 1t is
not the destruction of q little piece
of machinery, but the loss that IL
causes. have in. this State put in
force at our mines, rules that are
not covered by law, and SO far as J
am concerned l am not very particu-
lar as to how you frame up the laws,
rs long as they are in reason, and ]
have no fear but what this Commits
sion will use their own good judg-
ment. as we will. as they are made
up of men who will take to them
selves things as they appear, and
draw 1t up accordingly. l, for in
stance, have rule M at our mines
in which / have the monthly reports
made; 1t Is made out on little
form or blank something like this,
and 1t is headed: To Superinten-
dents. Mine No. go and SO: Place
where mine located; Date mine was
inspected inspected by our people);
Condition of mine; This man says
good: Condition of links good;
Condition of Coupling pins good;
Date dusty section of mine waz
sprinkled, October 1st"; Was Mine
Inspector with or with Committee?
Without Committee" IL says. !
have this little form in every sec
ton in which we operate mines. In
the states of Ohio and Illinois. there
is a committee of miners who &C
with the superintendent and mine
boss every time there is an inspec-
ton made. and there is a place for
the committee to sign their names il
they have inspected 1t, and also any
remarks they might have to make.
get reports every month from mines
IN Ohio in which the Committee
would say, Dan gerous place on the
main way" They look at it and ex-
anime 1t. and have four or five
mems judgment as to how safe it is.
They visit all parts of the mine to-
gether, and go there and make their
reports and they are certified by the
mine boss and the committee, and
If the mine boss or superintendent
differs with that committee, he so