The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-05
NSPEcTIONOF MINES
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS
 v NO JURISDICTION.
This Es The opfnien Of Senator Diek Of Ohio, Expreased At The Amer- lean Mining Congress
 Yesterday.

PittsburE, Dec. 4.--The American Mining Congress today listened to an exposition by Senator Dick or Ohio, of the powers of the Federal govern ment in regulating mining business with q view to preventing disasters. With the greatest number of mine owners. mine experts, government and State officials present in the history of the organization, the mining com gress began the third days session of Its eleventh annual meeting with . program that contained many vital discussions and addresses by famous men.
 Tn another part of the city. Sec retary of the Interior Garfield and the largest party of State and district mine inspectors ever assembled at one purpose of discussing mine explosions and their causes.
 Senator Dick spoke in part as fol- lows:
 ''You may search the Federal Con- situation through and find nothing therein giving Congress any author ity or jurisdiction over mining. The business of mining is not interstate commerce.
 Congress cannot provide for Fed. eral inspection. or supervision of mines. or compel the adoption of safe- ty devices and improved methods which may tend Co reduce the terrible en- aual loss of life in our coal mines.
 The coal mines of the United States are killing over three times as many per thousand men employed as the coal mines of France and Belgium. and two and one-half times as many as are killed In the coal mines of Great Britain. In all the coal producing countries of the world. the output has increased greatly in the past ten years. but the United States Is the only coun- try where the number of men killed per each 1000 employed has also in- ereasee. In every European country there has been a marked and steady decrease in casualties h coal mines.
 "This decrease has not been due alone to the inspection and supervision maintained by mining bureaus. but has been made possible because those na- tions have maintained spiendidly- equipped testing stations. such as ths Federal Government is installing here in Pittsburg. where exhaustive experi- ments have been carried on to test explosives and safety appliances.
 Many practical coal miners of long experience have long refused to be- lieve that coal dust Is explosive. Twen- ty specimens gathered In Ohio coal mines were submitted recently to the. OulEE0 oAAIBS tGHBtnk 6kaStOh anu w cry one was ignited by the powder, and exploded with terrific force. It Is by such experiments as this that a great many accidents can and will. in the future. be averted.
 "The function, then, of the Federal Government in relation to mining is through thorough scientific investiga- ton, similar to those which have prov ed effective in other mineral prcduc- tFs ss0HAtRfAM fn ahtatF and TuhItNn information concerning the explosives used in the mines and the conditions under which they can be safely used in the presence of coal dust or gas, and also concerning other conditions which will make mining safer.
 There Is no other country in the world where the natural conditions are so favorable for mining coal safely as in the United States"
 Senator Dick also urged the neees- eity of conserving the nations fuel resources. called attention to present waste and said experiments now be- ing made by the Government undouht- edly would do much to solve this prob lem by devising means for utilizing all the power contained in the fuel used.
 The officers of tho congress were jubilant today. They say the present convention Is the most instructive ever held and claim that within a short time numerous plans for the bet torment of the mining industry will be put in operation.
 The afternoon session was occupied with . discussion Of the problems of the coal industry and tonight arbitra- tion as factor in the mining industry was debated.
 One of the afternoons principal addresses was made by I. c. White, State Geolosist of West Virginia.