Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-02-23
ARTICLES A r E ALL
UNSCRUPULoUS
AND UNFAIR.
BASIC FACTS ARE MIS-
REPRESENTED.
POST" MoRTEM WRITES INTER
ESTING ARTICLE REFUTING
THE VARIOUS CHARGES.

The series of articles now being
run in the Cincinnati Post over the
caption of''The Posts Expose OF Con-
ditions in the Mines OF West Virgin
ia" Is about the weakest piece OF
work that sensational journal has
palmed OF on the public for num-
ber of years. Usually that paper
shows n spirit OF enterprise in show
ing up bad conditions generally, and
no doubt It's work along that line has
accomplished much good, but when
paper has to resort to misrep-
resentation of the basic facts of the
situation that Il thinks necessary to
claim the attention of it's readers, IL
lowers itself to degraded depths OF
the scandal monger. It has shown
nothing in connection with the
Stuart mine disaster that has not al
ready been disclosed by the papers
of West Virginia and in its blind
effort to be sensational has unscrup-
ulously failed. 1t is true that the
fatalities of the mines are n serious
problem. Il is true that many lives
have been lost by accidents I'm the
mines but It is not true that the
fatalities are as great among the
mine workers as II is on the rail-
roads and In other hazardous occu-
pations The accidental death list all
over the country in the last few
months has been alarmingly appall-
ing but IL would be wanton folly
to attribute the direct cause to the
people who were the heaviest finaD-
cial losers. AS long as mines are
operated men will lose their lives I'm
them. AS long as houses are be-
ing built, workmen will fan to their
death form their tops; and as long
as trains are run trainmen will lose
their lives in the operation.
AS the State is being more rapidly
developed more miners are necessary
for the operation of the mines, as
the number OF risks increase so will
the number of accidents correspond
ingly increase. II is true that con IL
tions can be improved. It is true
that the miners are entitled to every
safe guard that the law can throw
around them, and we believe that
the law making body OF West Vir-
ginia is alive TO the issues and will
give immediate and practical relief
that can be bestowed by statutory
enactment, but we fail to see how
conditions will be improved by APP
pealing to the prejudices OF the
people with a distorted story OF the
facts.
II is just as important to stop mine
disasters by Legislation or mine in
spection, as 1t would be TO prevent
powder from blowing up, or to pre-
vent destruction OF life by storm or
food AS long as many Of the causes
OF these disasters rest with men, who
are more or less careless, they are
sure TO happen for any man will
make a careless mistake some time.
Out Of $1,000 men employed IN
the West Virginia mines something
over a thousand have lost their lives
I'm ten year or only about one-fifth
Of one per cent. or one man out OF
every 500.
The insurance companies base
their rate on statistics. and they do
not consider mining as hazardous as
many other occupations, and West
Virginia has good showing from
this source as a discount OF So per
cent from the established rate for
employers liability insurance is al
lowed I'm West Virginia
Another point Of the injustice
Of the criticism Of the Post IS psac-
ing the blame on the mine owners.
Here IS a sample Of Cincinnati log
ic:
MONEY RULES THE NINE
'The operator runs his mine for
The financial returns for him The
cheaper the labor. the more money
in his pocket. lie knows that every
repair costs money and may delay
work. So ne lets go the repair. put
ting the matter I'm fortunes hands.
lie believes in luck. other operators
do the same thing. no accidents hap
pen to them. why should accidents
happen to them?"
So 40 IS said money rules the
mine" so # does. money rules most
every enterprise Of this state or at
least that Is the way we have been
Informed, although we have never
tried it personally
THE operator runs the mine for
the financial returns to him" That
IS the unkindest cut Of all We sup
pose the general impression In the