The Southern herald., 1910-04-22


iured would have been spared their
suffering"
j. F. Callbreath, Jr., secretary Of the
American mining congress, while in
washington to promote the pas
sage OF the bureau of mines bill, pend.
ing In the senate, having passed the
house. expressed this belief in an in.
terview.
In the opinion Of Mr.. Callbreath,
this bill offers the only remedy for
the many mine disasters which, with
In a short space Of time, have killed
4O5 men-an investigation of the
causes Of these disasters. Because of
the enormity of the task, the states
have failed in this investigation, and
It is believed 1t is within the function
of the federal government to conduct
scientific research into the causes
of such disasters.
In discussion of this topic, Mr.. Call
breath said:
"The bill for bureau of mines has
passed the national house of repre-
sentatives with an almost unanimous
vote. 1t cannot pass the senate too
soon. This bill offers the only rem.
edy-an investigation of the causes of
these disasters. The states have
failed miserably because the task is
too large for them. 1t is theirs to
inspect the mines and issue regula.
tions that ought to be enforced but
1t is surely within the function Of the
federal government to conduct the
scientific research into the mysterioua
causes that are hurling so many men
into eternity and leaving so many
helpless widows and orphans in our
country.
Life ought not to be measured
against dollars" continued Mr.. Call
breath, "and will not be by any one
who has a full realization of the ter.
rible conditions that prevail
To-day we are killing four men
each year in every coal mining camp
Of 1000 men. The same holds true
in metal mining, although the stats.
tics are not as complete as in coal
mining. Why the only man who op.
posed the bill In the house to any
extent represents a state whose iron
mines kill five men in every 1000 en-
ployed. This record Is almost twice
as bad as in the metal mines of AZ
rica, where they have hordes Of the
cheapest labor in the world and
where but little attention is paid to
the comfort of the meu. Life is sup
posed to be held cheaply there, but
the figures show that it is cheaper
in the state represented by the man
who opposed the bill.
Mining is the most hazardous oc
cupation on the face of the globe and
we believe that If the farmer, whose
work is the safest, is entitled to q
great department at Washington with
appropriations aggregating $14,0OO,0O(
year, mining, with its dangers, witt
its million and half men, is at Least
entitled to a small bureau There Il
nothing in the bill that will interfere
with the rights of the states. The
government is to conduct the scientl
fic Investigations and report its find
ings to the states. The work Of sim
liar bureaus in Europe has resulted
in a reduction of the death rate in thu
mines to one in 1000 men employed
and surely we can do the same.
"The bill has the Endorsement of thu
United Mine Workers, 100000 strong
the men who are most directly con
cerned, the mine owners, the leading
science societies, the state mine in
spectors and the state geologists o
the United States. 1t will pass thu
senate as easily as 1t did the hous,
If the members realize its full import
and l believe they do"