Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-03-10
MINING LAWS DEFECTIVE
Chief Inspector Paul Makes a
Special Report
LEGISLATION is NECESSARY

Recommendation are Made and
Governor Asked to Appoint Com
mission to Draft Measures.
Charleston, w. Va, March s. Chief
Mine Inspector Paul has made the
following report to the governor;
lin view of the recent mine disas-
tiers feel it incumbent upon me as
the chief of the Department of Mines
to make special report upon the con-
ditions surrounding those disasters
and to call attention to the necessity
of additional legislation for the safety
of the mine employees. Considerable
press notice has been given the five
accidents which. within 9s days, have
resulted in the loss of 10 lives, and it
| is to be hoped that public opinien will
keep in mind these accidents when
the legislature next convenes, and in
sist upon their representatives enact
ing laws which may reduce TO mini
mum the libility OF the recurrence Of
such disasters.
For the past four sessions Of the
| legislature the mine inspectors have
fought singlehanded to secure addi-
tional legislation for the safety OF the
mine employees. but only little haze
been accomplished. A perusal Of the
last eight annual reports of this de
partment will reveal the legislative
suggestions made by the inspectors,
and unbiased judges can readily see
the wisdom of such suggestions.
The present weakness of the law
has been fully manifested to thu pub.
lie, and this has been well known to
the inspectors. From my last annual
printed report the following is alb.
stracted 1.-The changing condition
at the mines within the past decade
have materially revolutionized the
character of labor employed. This
condition has been brought about by
reason OF the introduction of machin-
cry to supplant the work formerly
done by manual labor and anims s..
inexperienced men are employed wso
load machines, ana who know pras.sa
cally nothing about the dangers with
III mine, and as a consequence they
are unable to exercise the care essen
| tial TO their own safety. This is an
acknowledged status of labor, and
any safeguard that may decrease the
list of fatalities will have to be made
TO operate through tho having inn
mediate supervision of the employees. y
La two previous reports it has been
recommended that mine bosses be IT.
quired to have state licenss before
being permitted to act as a min
and under proper conditions it
lieved that this plan will inere
the efficiency OF the bosses ard
duce NINE accidents.
In the absen of specific
govern certain mine dangers within
the mines, this departmsnt has issued
circular letters to operators, and
these in turn have been delivered to
The mine bosses by the district inspec.
tors, calling special atten ION to the
quantity of nowder that shall be taken
into the mine, end prohibit the TAX
ing ut full kegs of powder into the
mine: also, to the removal of and
sprinklinR of dust within the mines.
These instructions were issued pre-
vious to the accidents which have
occurred within thu past 10 months.
"At present there 10 no special law
which gives the inspectors authority
to require the use Of safety lamps in
gaseous mine. A mine may be
found in such dangerous condition
that il may explode before the in
specf"r is able to get out OF the mine
ard to save the lives Of enliioyes he
has 10 60 through COAT proceedings
before remedy. 10 assured.
Another feature 10 connection With
the en- cution Of tho Law doee sotseem
to be fully appreciated and that is
the largo namber OF mines which each
inspector is required to inssct Ar
an iiiHstra'ion. the inspect of the
Sixth district has 100 mines. snd each
of the Inspector bias an average OF
over 100 mines in his district. The
force Of inspectors shonld bs inrreas
ed until each had not more than GO
mines IN his district ana at the
present time we have 700 mines re.
curing inspection.
"In order that properly prepared
Legislative bill be presented 10 our
next legislature il is recommended
that the Governor appoint commits
sion OF expert mine operators
and miners--to review the conditions