The San Francisco call., 1908-03-15

US. TO PROBE CAUSE
|. OF MINE DISASTERS
Senator Hemenway Shows
Great Need for Appropriation
to Avert Accidents
Says Miner Should Be Given
Equal Aid TO That Now
Furnished Agriculture

WASHINGTON, March 14-An amend
men; by Senator Itemcnway to the
lesislatiae appropriation bill carrying
$ls5.oee for the investigation OF mining
disasters and the waste in mining has
been reported to the senate The
amendment reads: Fer continuing the
work authorized by the act approved
March 3. 1891, for the protection OF the
lives OF miners in the territories, and
Tor conducting such investigs tons as
will increase safety and effieiency in
mining, to he Immediately available,
s195. .oee.'
In discussing his amendment, Sena-
tor Hemenway said:
It Is high time that the federal
government stepped In to Investigate
these terrible accidents in the mines
or the country and to find some method
whereby they can be prevented. or at
ieast reduced. In 1906 s.eG1- men were
killed and $500 injured This record,
when compared with that of European
countries. shows that we are killing
three times as many men In each 1000
employed as they are And the sad part
OF all this is that these accidents are
Increasing in number end severity.
The death list for 1907, from hgures
now available will reach 5000, an in
crease of 1000 deaths over the previous
year. or 50 per cent. Part OF this in
crease. OF course, Is due to the four shock.
Ing disasters that occurred in Decen-
Der, costing the lives OF fully 700 men.
But without these disasters. the coun-
try shows an increase in the number
OF men killed perhaps Is per cent.
WILL DEEPEN MINES
Il am told that we have mined prac-
raf ~, {t,..f
In the future we have to go deeper Tor
our fuel. Deeper mines mean more
dangerous mines and more horrors. un-
less We do something to avert them.
Until the governments Of Europe took
up this question. their coal mines wers
killing as many men as we are now.
These countries we're shocked into find-
Ing remedy, until now the accidents
from gas and dust explosions have been
reduced to a minimum. II Europe can
do this. surely the United States car.
Wescannot have IL said that the most
progressive country In the world Is b.
hind Europe in the protection of the
lives OF the men who toll under The
earth.
The shameful killing of the miners
is sufffcient reason for the appropria-
tlon OF this 31s5,000, but there is still
another factor in the problem and one
that Is fraught with much Importance
to the country. The mining industry
presents for consideration serious ma
tional problem. During 1907 the coal
production\ in the United States was
450,G00,0oo tons. The waste which re-
suited, with our present mining meth
ods in getting this coal out OF the
ground, amounted to- as much as the
entire production OF 50,00o, 600 toas.
With improved mining methods, at least
one-half OF this enormous yearly loss,
2b.000, 600 tons is believed to be easily
preventabie. This coal is worth at
least 81 g. ton or $225. .0o0. COOLEST TO
the country In one year.
MUST CONSERVE FUEL
.At the present increasing rate of
mining and waste. the best part Of
the nations available fuel supply will
be exhausted by the end OF the next
century; and meanwhile, within the
next two or three decades, the cost of
coal to the manufacturers of the coun-
try will be at least double that at the
present time unless we take action.
Similar waste is to be seen in con-
nection with much of the metal min
ing Of the country
The appropriation proposed provides
only for general Investigations and in
quiries, which have for their chief pur-
pose the prevention of accidents and of
the waste OF mineral resources. The
information to be gained thereby is to
be published and distributed with a
view to the betterment OF the mining
industry. The appropriation carries no
authority looking to federal supervi-
sion or inspection of mines. All such
inspection work is a matter for the
states.
..The work OF the government along
these lines will be purely educational
The results Of the Investigations will
be most directly beneficial in that they