The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1907-08-10
OUer Half a Million Men and Women
Annually Are Killed or Injured in
the United States While Engaged
in Productive Labor---Enormous
Sum Needed to Support Those In
capacitated.

states government and other re-
sponsible authorities to show that at
least 800 men are annually killed or
injured In anthracite mining alone,
and 425,000 in factory and building op-
eraions, making the grand total ap-
proximately $4,000.
Total Death Roll Greater.
These estimates are conservative.
II 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 startling array.
OF the 525,000 workers mentioned Is
per cent, or $4,000 to struggle
per cent. only are killed, leaving IS
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 q total of
$49,950,000. 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 a loss in
production Of approximately $780,
900, 900 annually.
But this Is only half the truth. II
these $4,000 wage earners are not re-
established they must sooner or later
be supported by the state. It is also
evident that the other 222, 900 who are
totally disabled will also become q
burden on the taxpayers.
Poor relief statistics show that II
costs $4,000 to support pauper dur
ing his natural life time. To be con-
sentative 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 at public expense.
To do this costs approximately two
and one-half billion dollars. In other
words, we contract each year to meet
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 forecast of what we
may expect II this wasteful destruc-
ton of life and limb continues
In New York state, according to the
estimate of the state labor commits
sioner in 1906, "A 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, or
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
last year 2,160 deaths by violence; as
tonishing as It may seem nearly one
third Of these deaths. or 6s4. were
caused by falls, explosions, caving In
OF earth, premature blasts and falling
rock. The river tunnels were con-
structed at the cost of 68 lives, 43 in
the Pennsylvania terminal works, 20
in the Belmont tunnel, two in the sub
way borings and three in the Hudson
companies terminal.
In the huge, smoky workshop called
Pittsburg, one human life is sacrificed
for every $4,000 tons Of coal that are
shipped out of the city. For each
1000 tons of steel products one Of the
manipulators, somewhere In the pro
cess Of manufacture, lays down his
life; and for each 10000 tons Of steel
rails another laborer makes the last
sacrifice.
or the 1850 deaths reported in
Pittsburg in 1906, 919 were due to &C
tidents in mills, mines and ion rail-
roads. The number Of accidents was
not computed, but 1t was undoubtedly
In the thousands.
Causes Of Fatalities.
How does It all happen, you ask? Il
a huge ladle OF white hot steel is up
set, the molten stream burns alive fts
writing victim. II may be that
man or woman Ia whirled to horrible
| death In mill machinery; or ulfnel
10 blown to eternity In an explosion
| Of damp In . mine. (
publicity u given to accidents OF
railroads, but little 10 heard Of the
| thousands annualiy killed and manned
! in manufacturing and building and II