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

in tae mine, knows ANYTHING about
said before, the men that should BE-
certified men and who ought to
know these things, ? the men ssDi
oE1 by the State and the men EN-
r,lOy 90 as mine ~tcrsrnep by tks oper-
aJc-- When you do that. you do jug
tce 10 yourself ] want il under
stood that there is not q single act
that you can put IN yoGf mining laT
that ! would not mend, II II is
here and ask for ~absurcities. 1hsa.
gentlemen. am forced 10 tight you,
because II is absurd You Cannot
make anything mc- or less out OF
it What ] think you should do,
is 10 put the mine inspectors on
there hat are capable men, and put
enough on 10 inspect the mines. and
pay them a salary And when ]
speak of z salary. / do Tot mean a
thousand dollars z year Y do not
& 10 criticize any Inspector, as
from my knowledge OF them. they
are good men, and they give my mine
due inspection. but they have never
made q Suggestion they have never
given me an idea as TO safety OF my
mine hat / have not carried out, but
! want to say further they have had
very few opportunities that ! remsm-
Der of, TO make any suggestions as
TO my mines, and ! am non the IN
fo-tunates- What / starred TO say
was this, thu ] believe there are MOI
three deputies in this house that are
on here for the purpose of staying
there as mine inspectors. They are
simply there. because they know
that they can SEE a great many things
thai would be beneficial 10 them, and
II they do not want TO operate them
selves. they a get more knowledge,
and get a position as superintendent
0 something OF that kind in the
mines. Men with Intelligence can
not afford to work for $4,000 a year
They would be foolish if they did ii.
What want is that q deputy mine
inspector shall uot have less than
TWO thousand dollars a year, and all
the expenses necessary for him &c
spend. We are able to a for these
things The coal business of this
State can Z for it 1t is the great
est industry of the State The idea
Of putting five mine inspectors, OF
six, or seven. TO inspect mine in Z
State like this is q farce OF the face
Of il Now, gentlemen, / want to be
fair and I want to be just. NJ!
father was a miner before me, ant
likewise my grandfather. l am sor
~ 10 say that my father died 70,
he simple reason that he was work
ing in bad air-1he bad air was ths
cause of going 20 an early grave, ant
i make the assertion now. and l havs
carried it out through life, that
would ask a man to worl
where the air is not pure enough Il
work in II there is a man in thi
house or in the State that know
hat ] yer asked him to work in bat
air. let him say So think this, tina
f the mining industry of this Stat
ever gets TO the point where the own
srs of a mine put it in proper shap'
ior the preservation of life, and pu
INTO that mine air sufficient for al
me men working in that mine i
live, hen that mine should csrtainl.
DC closed down. and if ! was an in
s2ector-I wouldn't be an inspecto.
unless I had authority to close i
down.
Gentlemen, / believe I have sal,
I wish to compliment the Governo
because 1 think this Commission
wise and prudent and conservative
There are men on the Comuissio:
who understand their business, an
l think we are perfectly safe of leay
ing the entire thing with this Com
mission, and think, when they &c
through, that whatever they recon-
mend to the Legislature. will be sal
isfactory to all OF US.
On motion of MIR. Henry, the Com
mission too a ecess until 2 o'clock
p. N.