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

what makes the man careless Ho
SO accustomed to IL and IL makes
MN careless. In the handling OF dy-
mantle all the time he gets as care
issS OF 1t as o would handle n no.
.ato. AS say II Is not the knowI-
eoSe OF danger hat makes the man
caretui. Very often n man who IS
the ieast experienced Is tho most
careful. l would like. therefore. n
some gentleman here who Is
ca with the miners would tell us
whether he has taken the reports OF
n mine inspectors and classified
Lnem as hey are classified here UNI
uer these four causes. Then, of
course. we want to use experience to
try to guard against these things
which may occur in the future.
MIR. NUGENT:
Mr.. Chairman, the gentlement re-
ferred to by Mt. Jackson i believe
that the object OF inviting the oper-
ators mere was that the Commission
appointed by the Governor might
nave all the facts possible to assist
them In remedying the causes OF the
explosions in our State. / wnnt to
say as a miner in the State that our
has come directive
claim from the statements and re-
ports of the mine inspectors and tho
department of Mines in our State
consequently the person who docs
not know this and II In the invests.
cation of the causes OF this explos-
this Convention of Onern-
tors and Miners. It should not be nut
Upon the miners to show why these
explosions occurred and what their
causes are.
This State employs men whose
1t is and who has had authority
10 lnVlGfipnf tho mace,
ions where the United Mine Workers
or America were prevented from taxi
ing part In any particular rs to as
pertaining tho causes OF the explos-
ions, and ! heliove IL the operators
are not ~conVersant with this that the
Mining Department--and the Ques-
tlon should be to them rs to whether
1t Is 1naccuracy of the law, the ig-
OF hi persons employed, or
the failure to enforce laws, or to
nave them enforced. what part they
take in the explosions OF our State.
l want to say also as a member OF
the Commission. on the part of the
miner from our State, the resolu-
tons presented to-the Commission,
the miners OF the State and not from
me.
MR.. JACKSON:
Mr.. Chairman. I am sorry to get
such an inconclusive reply from Mr..
Nugent. find a paper here present
ed by n body of men. assume that
any body OF men hat would present
a paper OF that kind and state rea-
sons for these deliberations, must
have made some Investigations. ]
wish to verify 1t; ] wish to ascertain
under what head these disasters oc-
Cured, If these were caused by the
employing OF lei without knowl-
edge OF mining, ! have a right to
presume. n ! would like to know
which n or more was caused by
the miner not knowing the danger,
but if l can not get 1t. ] will have to
rest without 1t.
Mr.. LEWIS:
1t Is very unfortunate that Mr..
Jackson was not here this morning.
I believe II he will take my statement
and review 1t. he will learn, at least,
what we believe to be the causes of
the loss of life in West Virginia. ]
do not claim that there Is any one
cause. i would not undertake, as q
representative of the miners, to state
a claim of that kind. 1t is a combi-
nation of causes. One of the causes
of the terrible explosions in West
Virginia. and in every other State in
NAAo AZ NV lhSN tIul lutN
don't supply a sufficient volume of
air to dilute the Eases and make il
perfectly harmless, and where they
fail to do that In any district In this
country, there mus: be some reason
given, and we would like to know If
the law requires a sufficient volume
of air.
In largely developed mines is that
volume of air divided In order to Sc
cure the best result in eliminating
the dangers from fire damp? II we
have a law, is that law enforced, and
If not, why not? There can be two
reasons: one reason is, of course the
penalties are not severe enough. and
the other reason is the absolute de-
fiance of the law by those in charge
of the developing of the property.
II would De interesting to the Hon
orable Members of the Commission,
and to the people of West Virginia,
to have the Members of the Mining
Department in this State get up and
give the exact conditions as they ex-
list in the State. We would not want
any better answer to Mr.. Jackson's
questions than that. II the law pro-
vides that breakthroughs be made
very one hundred feet apart there
is no excuse for a mine foreman
making breakthroughs every two
hundred or two hundred and fifty
feet apart. There is something
wrong: that is what the miner
thinks If the law provides that
there is to be two openings in a
mine there is no xcuse for one open
ing in that property and there is no
excuse for a gentleman who has