The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-08-20

States government and other re-
sponsible authorities to show that at
least 5,100 men are annually killed or
injured in anthracite mining alone
and 425,000 in factory and building OPP
erations making the grand total ap-
proximately 525,O0O.
Total Death Roll Greater.
These estimates are conservative.
If the exact number of accidents was
known this total would be greatly in
creased.
In converting facts into figures Mr..
Clarence Marx, who with other re-
sponsible investigators, has given sew
eral years of study to the relation Of
crippled and unemployed persons to
industry, presents a startling array.
OF the 5000 workers mentioned Is
per cent, or $4,000 to struggle
per cent. only are killed, leaving SO.
against their handicaps. Estimating
that at least so per cent. or 222 900 of
these are able to earn 1925 each an
nually, which is so per cent. of the
annual average earnings of able
bodied artisans, we have a total of
$i9,950,000. This is the loss in earn
ing power
Safely assuming that these persons
would create twice as much wealth as
they earn we would have loss in
production of approximately $780,
100000 annually.
But this is only half the truth. II
these 222, 900 wage earners are not re-
established they must sooner or later
be supported by the state. II is also
evident that the other 222,000 who are
totally disabled will also become a
burden ON the taxpayers.
Poor relief statistics show that It
costs $4,000 to support pauper dur
ing his natural life time. To be CON
servative again, let us estimate this
cost at $4,000, to make allowance for
those who may be supported by rela-
tives and friends, or who may become
partially self-supporting Since under
our present system the partially dis
abled are not reestablished, the total
number, minus a small percentage,
must be supported az public expense.
To do this costs approximately two
and one-half billion dollars. In other
words, we contract each year to meet
a debt of two and a half billion dol
lars within the lifetime of the persons
thus injured.
Figures That Stagger.
These are staggering figures, but
they are only a forecast of what we
may expect If this wasteful destruc-
tion of life and limb continues.
In NaW XOrL state orrordipcr tO tho
estimate of the state labor commits
sioner in 1906, Al workers in every
1000 are incapacitated in the course
of the years work. That means, for
instance, that at least 10000 purely in,
dustrial accidents occur in New York
city alone every year, The ratio OF
injured and uninjured is not as high
in some other parts of the country, OF
the total number of accidents in the
United States would be over 100000
annually
In one section of New York city
the Borough of Manhattan, there were
a. last year 2,160 deaths by violence; as
tonishing as It may seem nearly one
n third of these deaths, or 6S4, were
n caused by falls. explosions, caving in
ID of earth. premature blasts and falling
rock. The river tunnels were con
e structed at the cost of 6S lives, 43 In
n. the Pennsylvania terminal works. 2(
is in the Belmont tunnel, two in the sub
ie way borings and three in the Hudson
companies terminal.
s. In the huge, smoky workshop called
a Pittsburg, one human life is sacrificed
a. for every $4,000 tons of coal that arc
shipped out of the city For eacf
10 1900 tons of steel products one of the
manipulators, somewhere in the pro
ID cess of manufacture, lays down his
,e life; and for each 10000 tons Of stee
is rails another laborer makes the las
sacrifice.
al OF the $500 deaths reported IL
d. Pittsburg in 1906, 919 were due to ac
lie cidents in mills. mines and on rail
roads. The number of accidents wal
ID not computed, but it was undoubtedly
r. in the thousands.
r. Causes of Fatalities.
a How does 1t all happen, you ask? I
p. a huge ladle of white hot steel is up
n set the molten stream burns alive III
r. writhing victim. It may be that
Mt man or woman is whirled to horribl,
death in mill machinery; or a mine
n is blown to eternity In an explosion
is of damp in a mine.
I'd Publicity is given to accidents ol
d. railroads. but little is heard OF tn
as thousands annually killed and maine,
ed in manufacturing and building and Il