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

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- rslEzer and an more nervous
- nv friend Nugent, but ther.
81 one or two things that I wish &c
- and that is that in thirty-siA
- IS 2 miner in Pennsylvania
- II this state, my experience is
- rhz mines where / am now en-
A n7oyz6. that have the management
Il r. are more safe than any mine that
ever had the management of or
1or:eG in in Pennsylvania for twenty
rza-s ! have had charge of some OF
r. most gaseous mines in that State,
- gentlemen, / never had a man
Sr-rsE, nor never had an explosion.
1 f-o-runs rely, l may have been one OF
i-ra fortunate ones. but ! always
made y q point to see that the gases
Is faS IS generated were removed
and rendered harmless, so that the
miners would be as near safe as DOS
sb!e. in field today one of tn,
LARGEST coal producing sections il
|rha United States. and where there
is more gas generated, think / an
safe IL saying, than any other coal
producing section in the world, Their.
has not been an explosion in tina.
ssctioE, and | think l am safe in saw
Ing. not one man killed by fire for tn
las. t%elye years.
| We, as a Commission, have recon
| nended the same amount of air tt
pass in non-SaseouS and gaseous
mines as are passing according tc
law in those mines. They had ga;
they had explosions, because the,
were Young and inexperienced. They
nec those circumstances that came
about the conditions they could no,
overcome at first, and the result Is
that there were many lives lost but
BY experience that was gradually
overcome, until that today is prac-
Ideally thing of the past. think
the same thing will continue here,
will continue and improve in our
mining methods, and the conditions
/ Of the mines will improve so thai
the hsalth and the safety Of the
miner will be much better looked af-
ter and attended to than they are to-
day. | sat here yesterday and lis
tened to some of the remarks of the
gentlemen, and / thought to mysel.
| that really l must be on the wroos
| side OF the fence? Some of the
| SPEAKERS got up and they said the
OPERATORS that all they thought
about practically was to get out the
coal. without regard to life and tc
limb
Gentlemen, 1 know most of the
operators in this field; know mosi
OF The operators in the Pittsburu
field and in other fields, and NV ey
par.ence is that they are all gener-
ally speaking men of character, char
liable, and they never let the widow
and the children go naked and hun
CRY II they know it. know thai
most OF the operators in this field
are subscribers today to the hosDi-
tails III this field. l know that our
company has taken men and semi
than TO the hospital when they did
not have the proper care and atten-
ton at home, and know, gentle
men, that we have paid the bill, be-
cause have paid it myself. We
help at all times, to make the min.
ers comfortable and make their live,
as pleasant as possible. We realize
the dangers they have to contend
with and we know also that acci.
dents happen as long as mining is
an industry. l think that with thu
laws mat we have now as amended
and by proper execution, that tn.
condition of affairs will improve, blu;
II We nave condition the same as
Understand this morning from Mr.
Lewis that the mines on the Norfolk
ana tern are ankle deep in tn,
Gust, and the inspectors from tn,
D-strci gets up and says that those
se-tIemen, tho operators, are kline
ana gentle and affectionate and gen:
t4eNanly, but when he comes to ask
loF reports, and when there is ar
accent, he never sends reports, they
u"l. want every anybody to know
"uat mas become of that body; they
uon care, or to put it in plain Eng
!isA. they don't care whether he is
IT II, the ground or whether he is out
men, / say to the insuector that is
az right for this State of affairs; he
mas not executed the law as we have
II on the statutes today He is not
iQl-ll-ng his oath of Office that he
mas taken to carry out, and | sa,
We may sit here for one week or two
weeks or four weeks and make laws
ouL II they are not executed what
Is the use of that law. If they are
--ol put into practice what is the use
mem? | know that the inspector
n our district, when he comes 20
Guy cur place. which he does do, he full
III the law as near as possible, b.
Sp.H'nS every three months, or near
a.pi'' and when he comes up to our
mines. | go with him; he does no;
70 any place that l do not go. Ii
~ mas any suggestion to make, AMI
- think the suggestion all right
: s.'e him credit for it and put IL
IN" execution. 1 do anything for
IN safety and welfare of the miners
~ my charge. There is not but one
>"- &eSt.on i rem ember he made TO
I ne. He said. Mr.. Gill:e, your No.
oLs mine is dusty. and ought to be
1'ercd," and5I says. Yes, sir, and
SAai be watered, - and l got in {,
"a. i"au OF p-pe and put in two tanks