The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-12-20
MINES And MINING.
Notes by Edwin Perry, Iowa Sec'y.
United Mine Workers.

the mines of District 10 is slight
greater than in 1905.
- q
Nearly 1000 more men are EN-
ployed in our mines now than in tn
fall, and all mines are working full
time.
The Carpenter mine near Madrid
Iowa, has a large force of men a
work and a fine 4-foot vein of Goa
is being worked
A new local union with twent,
members was organized at Yearger
Iowa, a station eight miles north o
Des Moines, on the Iowa Falls rail
way.
The black diamond mine of Evans
has experienced series of accident!
recently that caused the mine to sus
pend operations. 1t is to be hoped
that the future will be productive o.
better results. ...
q RH
A new mine will be opened early
in the spring north of the Holdings
worth mine, Valley Junction, by Des
Moines parties. The coal industry o.
Polk county is yet in its infancy, and
is now the second largest coal pro
ducing county in the state.
HR -
President Roosevelt's advocacy of q
federal commission for the investiga
ton and prevention of strikes is a
good and wise suggestion and worthy
Of experiment, at least; and if con
gress will crystalize into law some
tangible solution to avoid Industrial
conflicts between these two divergent
interests, capital and labor the PEG,
pie will applaud the effort. The
presidents recommendations on other
questions as affecting working men
and women is equally as commend.
able, and worthy of serious consider,
alton by the legislative branches of
our state ana 0duOn.
y g
The Kanawha Coal Co. of West Vir.
ginia paid the amount of $4,000 dam
ages to the relatives of the fifteen
miners that were killed in an explo-
sion on January IS, 1906. This sum
was paid as compromise in tina
cases pending in the courts of that
state, Only recently the wife Of
another deceased miner was award
ed $4,000 damages for the loss of her
husband. This is eminently proper
anu a step in the right direction.
Make the employer responsible by
law for the protection and preserva-
ton of health and life of employees
and accidents will be reduced to the
lowest possible minimum.
A statement is going the rounds Of
the press that does a grave injustice
to the miners of Iowa. Pres. Urick,
of the l. F. of L., is credited with the
statement that the Iowa miners fire
their own shots, while all the men are
in the mine. This is serious mis-,
take, and a rejection on the intelli-
gence of our craft. The universal
rule is to entrust this work to not
more than two experienced men, and
the blasts do not occur until all I'M
derground employees are on the sur
face, free from all dangH" From
April LIST to date six deaths have oc
Cured as a result of falls of slate. 1t
may be possible that the press reports
misquote Pres. Urick, for l am salts
fed in my own mind that he would
do us no intentional injury.
There is a clause in the Iowa
agreement between the operators anu
miners to the effect that every mine
must keep on hand a sufficient supply
of oils, blankets, bandages, ETC., and
also suitable conveyances or stretch
ers readily available at each mine tC
properly care for and convey injured
persons to their homes, and while
nearly all coal companies have com
piled with this rule, there are a few
exceptions, and it is to be hoped thai
all those not having provided the
necessary supplies to protect ant
mitigate the suffering of the unfortun
ate victims of accidents, if anything
contemplated in such agreemel
would prolong life or save any amour
of suffering, and an employer ne
elects to provide the same, the Law
would certainly hold the offendin,
employer responsible to a certain de
gree in an action for damages, and /
is to be hoped that this advice will
be taken in the same spirit that
prompts the writer to mention tn,
same.
Rumor is prevalent that the Retail
Grocers' association are going {,
make a vigorous campaign towar'
getting a garnishment bill passed b,
our state legislature. II such a bill
ever becomes a law 1t will be SER
Gus mistake on the part of the retail
merchants. How would it do Tor tn
members of organized labor to cour
teract the influence of such legisla