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

justice, ] believe he Is wilitny -, 81
TO give ihsfr hearty cooper 80 X
honest and fair enactment o. - II
the nsxt Legislature, and t5er
operation with the d~eparzgsa--
having that enforced in al tie IS =
\ where thsy fail 10 enfo-e= Il. !
Law viii assist US in putting ~ :
spoasibility or the compar5@ wh:
refuse 10 comply with the rs Nj
the cooperate with az
enacESug into law. If the man -
have immediate supervision IAN =.
do their duty, the company Who 80
ploys them shall be held
TO the widow and orphans W. r~s
that our State IS 5he orIr
State in the Union where t.s
preme Court has held that ths .Dirs,
who goes into q mine that III
danger Z loses MS life as thz ~
suit, he alone IS responsible; thar i
another point; the Supreme Eo.-
has held that where the operas.
employs a mine boss that ne=sz i.
requirements OF the Statute TN
they are not held responsible ia
silful neglect or failure OF then bo.s
to discharge his duties. VIII Ia.
the miner TO fan back upon2 VIZ
has immediate supervision over a5a,
b Company desires 10 be Te.eya
of all responsibility, place il On
S.uSit ENip1osrS ol tES CpIlpd1. a-s
ueli the hundreds OF miners in thss
State If you go in there TO work yoe
| sili have to stan the consecueau
| of any accidents that occur. Sox
this is how we look at it, thai ths
time vas when inexperienced -ss
Sere lot permitted TO take chargs
Of such labor in any State il Tie
| Union, and since hat time as ths
| Chief says, instead of lessing the ia
calities. they have increased in agu-t
oers- If hat is true, doesn't it dem
onstra1e hat the old methods werz
correct methodist ] would say 10
he operators. these are the confer
lions as far as b miners are cor
cerned? We just simply want 4
reasonable guarantee to leave u
aonle when We enter mines. TO on.
wives and little ones that the iadiv!dI
Ials employing US are-What2 Are
:lose enough 10 investigate and See
hal the individuals whom they pc;
Il immediate control OF US dis2harse
heir duties as far as possible il
oDeying the law, and the RESPONSE
oili1y should not be on us to :C-ce
he mine vs. 10 DO his duty, By
luiI1ing WORK. When We Quit mo-k,
/ is a strike, a strike for Justice, be-
:ause our employers refuse TO gire
Is protection.
do not think shall talk to The
Commission OF operators or miners
ID this question:, but l want to say
mere that the miners are not coz.
ending before this Commission for
anything that they do not believe
hat IS practicable and just 10 them.
ihey are not the ones who have
:aised the cry against the operators
If This State. They are not the ones
hat are responsible for calling this
Commission, but they are discharg-
4 ~y fhas~ 1.,SShr o." rs+t,o-- 8 -htc
state in nsNering an Invitation
sent out by the Commission appoint
ed by the Governor to G b hes;
OF protecting life in the State,
and all we desire in this connection
IS that the public, where it means
the Press is now trying to get estab-
lished il the minds of the people OF
our State that hat is a contention
oetween the operators and miners.
One thing l want to call the atten-
lion to of the operators: Yesterday
he miners came in here and sub
nitted to this Commission their ideas
IN legislation The operators failed
so far I O offer anything to this Com
mission, but criticized that which was
offered. We ask hat in the consid-
GRAFTON of this question. hat ii be
loI a contention between operator
and miner. but it be a contention OF
operator and miner with the Mine
Department OF this State for the
adoption of a better Law If our law
needs improvement, and l have fail
I'd as yet. I have failed to see an
operator get up and say that our
laws are all they should be, and
when they fail TO do that they rec
'gnize that the law is not what it
hould be. Another thing and l am
lone. We are with the operators
n standing by the Chief of the De-
1artment OF Mines and by the In
:pecto-s. We believe they should be
setter paid, we believe their work
should be so arranged that they can
meet the requirements of the law
and give sufficient time in eNanlin-
ng the mines, but We do not believe
hat they hold their jobs Just for the
Duspose OF learning to be superioten-
Tents of mines. We do believe that
he Mine Inspectors selected have
hat knowledge prior to their selec-
ion, are not trying to quality them
selves to be superintendents OF
mines. and ! say on that matter there
: lot any difference between US,
but ! do not think it is fair to the
Department to say that a man only
'erves not for the salary he is get
ing but for the opportunity of IN
'~orrnation and improving his condi-
ton by getting a job from the conf
7any- The question is simply this.
hat all the people of our State de-
:ire. What an unfortunate thing IN
4 great many States is tina the nlen
who do work honestly for the inter