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

OF this commission. as to The desires
OF h miners. and in leaving. ! want
to emphasize the act again that ne
do rot want ihe impression 10 go ozt
that He arg seeking 10 s@c4r- some
Thing unreasonable. What SIG want
is ample protection for Ire lives and
limbs ana nealth of oar peopIe.-
proper laws enacted to sec1rs that.
sufficient penalties attached 10
that We have il, AID Epch authority
given to the chief and EhR bers
OF his department., as Will enable him
to enforce the laws without TOO much
red tape attached To it
MIR JOHN LAIEG-
M-. Chairman. and gentlemen OF
this commission: 1t seems TO me
tina. the Ensin ISSUE thai the meet
5ng or the calling together Of this
4 ctIEl IniES7nn was for has been over
]oo&ed- ! know hat j. has seemed
TO me mat IAs-e has been z great
Gea! OF Talk outside OF The matters
that il was called TO consider. II
has cen unfair 10 the commission,
unfair 10 you. Mt Chairman, as
STAG mine inspector. and unfair to
/ the deputies. As ! understand 1t,
1t vas not for the benefit Of outsiders
or outside matters. but fo- the our
pose OF discussing the best methods
TO be adopted in mining coa in Yes
Virginia, FOR all parties Interested
II Gems 10 me that in all this dis
cnssion lhat hat ISSUE has cen
avoided and overlooked to q great
extent This is not the first conaInis-
sion that has yer cen called to-
( gelhe- in This country of this kind.
ans it will not be the last These
commissions have been called to-
sether, according 10 history, since
1915. Now. ] think that the Govern
Or did e yer wise and prudent act
in calling this mission together,
and ] do wish 10 assure YOU, as ep-
senting one Of the largest coal 70
ducing interests in the State, that
we are !usr as sincere in wishing to
get proper ventilation, q proper syS-
4 en-, and proper mining laws as you
are, and ] am just as sincere in thai
as any of YOU, and ] am here be-
! sause thought l might hear ome
hing that would be of benefit, and
bought il ! could get some info-ma-
ion as TO what is needed in this
\ state for the prevention of such dis
I sstg-s as We have had in the past, J
! Eould be glad to get il. ! expect you
1 all know that ! have been 4 OF the
most unfortunate in that respect, il
| having these catastroDh3es in this
state. and ! believe about The first
When we had the first catastrophe, !,
invited criticism. ! invite it now, and
1 ] ever asked or permitted a mar
10 go in an unsafe mine, b ! am
guilty and should be prosecuted,
and ] am open for prosecution. What
| The operators Of this State want is =
law that is just and right l do mol
want any man TO sacrifice his rights
IS an American citizen. ! claim all
| ne rights that the constitution of ths
| United States gives me, and l ex-
tend 10 every other man the same
light, but / do claim the right to run
my own business, and use my money
as ] choose. I worked for my mon
~ the same as you did for yours, L
| believe every man in any avocaticn
in life has a right to spend the dol
lar that he earns without being con-
troiled by somebody who has no au-
Ihority over aim. l DO not want tc
see these things. h l want is Z
Just and fair law TO the miner and
operator alike. What ] want to sug-
gest is this, that our mining depart
nent has been inadequate l have
known your chief mine inspector. !
expect, longer than any of you in this
house, because l think soUle OF the
irst mines be visited / vas with
him. and I want to say that his sole
ambition from the time ! first knew
him was to get the mines in this
State s~ysteT2atized, and get laws thai
would protect the miner and the
property of his State but it is a well
known fact that there are operations
IN this State that have not lived ul
% the law. Now. l am just as sin
| cere as any one can be when ! say
that | think the mine inspectors
should have authority TO close their
mines down, and If l am operating
q mine or a piece OF machinery thar
IS not right, or not safe, ! want lhs
mine inspector TO come and tell me
so. and have h authority TO closs
hat mine down, and ] want this
commission 10 recommend to the mex
legislature OF this State b enact
nent of a law to put enough deputies
lnder the chief mine inspector. SC
that they Will have time to visit III.
mines and know the danger before
he disaster comes. We do not wan
anything but what is fair. just ana
light. but again. I am like our ex'
Governor, ! want il generally
hat conditions are not worse in this
State on an average than they are il
other states. l have worked il
Pennsylvania. and in Ohio. and IL
West Virginia.. l am q coal miner
and l know conditions are Just as
bad today IL Pennsylvania, n Ohio
and Indiana, at least, as they are il
West Virginia. and I can prove it
All we want is right. You ask for E
law by which 4 man will have to be
certified before he can enter a mine
| say that there have been this kline
of commissions from 1915 up TO ths
present time. and in no commission
before this one has eve sue a de.