The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-04
WASTE EACH YEAR
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS BAD AND
SYSTEM RUlNOUs.


mas been too rapid for systematic de-
veiOpment; and the industry today rep
resents a great host Of scattered, war
ring, discouraged elements, without or
ganizatiOn or cooperation.
In this industry are now employed
some 100000 miners, who work at
some 5000 different mines, and produce
yearly about 600 tons of coal
Not only is the nation increasingly de
pendent upon this coal for its heat light
and power for it's manufacturing indus
tries and transportation facilities, but
this coal and other mineral products
now contribute in tonnage more than
So per cent Of the totaEfreight traffic of
the country.
The economic conditions upon which
coal mining is based in this country are
fundamentally bad: and the evil cOnSe-
quenCes are so .far-reaching as TO both
time and extent, and are so essentially
national in character, that this sub
ject demands the earnest consideration
Of our best statesmen, as well as of
our best engineers.
Things to Be Considered.
% In spite of this rapid growth in
our demand for coal the normal pro-
ductive capacity OF our coal mines un-
der continuous operation greatly eX-
ceeds this demand;
% RuInOus competition exists not
only between the operators in the same
field, but between the operators o. one
field as against. those in another field,
or in another state, where different
mining laws and regulations exist
80 This competition is first of all
driving out of the business the small
operators, except where they find pro
TrcfCrlf
is forcing even the larger operator to
mine coal under conditions which he
cannot approve but from which he finds
no escape. If he and his fellow-Op-
orators endeavOr to get together" and
place the price of coal at the mine on
a reasonable basis they go to jail under
either a federal or a state statute; and
as the only alternative each must live
Cor succumb) by undertaking the
other, which he can do only through
Wasteful and unsafe mining methods;
"a Even when the demand for coal
and the prices are at their best, under
existing conditions, the operator can
mine only that part Of his coal which
can be taken out most cheaply and sold
at higher prices; and the remainder
must be left underground in such shape
as may preclude its future recovery.
And thus I'VE waste yearly more than
$50, goo, 900 tons Of the nations fuel sup
ply;
90 The American mine-owner is as
humane as is the mine-OWner Of any
other country; and he would like to
follow every practice and use every ap-
pliance for safety to be found in Brit
ain, or France, or Belgium, or Germany,
or elsewhere; but he pays his miners
higher wages, and at the same tinae re-
T-ge .rT rnT frnn
half the price received for similar mined
coal by the operator in those countries
and he must employ miners an in
creasingly large percentage Of whom
come to him unfamiliar either with the
practices Of the industry or with the
language or traditions of the country;
I'd And the penalty which the nation
is paying for this bad system is this in
creasing waste Of resources and the
still more objectionable increasing
waste of human Iife-the yearly loss Of
250. 100000 tons Of coal, and the killing
OF injuring yearly Of from 5000 to TO-
900 men,
And what are the remedies for this
/ bad situation.
(a) Investigations, such as are now
being conducted by the government, as
to the causes of mine explosions; and
other similar investigations as to the
/ causes Of mine accidents of other kinds,
and as to methods of prevention;
tb) Educational work among the
miners and the lower active mine Of
! hCials as to these causes and remedies
(c) The training of men at each
mine as to the best methods Of using
| explosives, using electricity, handling
| Of gases and dust, Of timbering, of pre-
venting and eXtmguishing mine fires
as to the methods Of rescue work, and
as to the methods of first-aid-to-the-
/ injured work;
(d The DEVELOPMENT of better and
more uniform mining laws. rules anC
/ regulations, based upon accurate data
/ and experience;
/ (e) Active. determined cooperation
/ between the miners and the mine man
agement and the states inspectors il
| the enforcement Of these rules and regu
/ lations with a view TO the maintenance
| of the safest possible conditions in ev'
cry mine.
The above are all parts of the pro.
/ gram for lessening and alternating min'
| accidents; but they do not complete
/ the program. It is an essential par
I of this program that:
| ID The ruinOus competitive system
| upon which coal mining in the United
States is based at the present tint
| should be changed, and that the price
paid for coal at the mine should bo
| such as viii permit and secure safe and
| efficient mining-mining unaccOmpa-
/ MED by either this large loss of life Of
| waste of resOurces-mining which car
| have due regard to not only the safety
but also to the health and the com
I fort of the men who toll underground
| and whose labor is so essential to tn,
/ welfare Of the nation. All this can bs
| done without adding appreciably 10 th'
| burden of the average American citi
| of coal at the poor mans cottage, and
/ without the risk Of any unreasonable
! restraint of trade.
/ There can be no permanent industry
/ without reasonable profits. 1t is unjUs
/ and irrational that in this great and
/ essential branch of industry reasonabl,
/ profits should be dependent upon any
/ unnecessary sacrifice Of human life, and
| unnecessary waste of resources which
/ we can neither replace nor restore and
which viii be essential to the future
/ development Of the country.
/ This country needs and deserves fair
! treatment az the hands of the American
! people and upon its receipt of such
/ treatment depends in no small degree
not only the welfare of the operators
/ though nobody cares about them-but
also the welfare of the 600 900 miners
heat and light for the nations comfort
who risk their lives in supplying the
| fuel for the nations industries, and the
! and convenience.