Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-08-25
IOWA COAL OUTPUT
Production of Mines in 1910 Much
Less Than in 1909
THE TOTAL IS l4,668,733 TONS
The Annual Report of State Mine In.
spectors Is Delivered to Governor
Carroll-Rhys Recommends
Changes In Law.

Des Moines, Aug. 2o.-During the
two years ending June 80, 1910, 49,.
600 coal miners employed in the state
of Iowa mined over 100000 tons Of
coal; or, to be exact, 14,56S,733 tons.
These facts are shown by the bi.
ennial report Of the state mining
board, completed and delivered to
Governor Carroll.
The report shows the amount of
coal mined respectively in 1909 and
1910. In the number Of tons, the out
put this year has been considerably
less than In 1909. This is due, how
ever to the fact that the mines were
closed down for over a month this
year while the wage controversy was
being settled.
The biennial report also shows that
In 1909, 1902 men were employed in
the mines of Iowa, that there were
but twenty-eight fatal accidents and
121 non-fatal accidents. In 1910 the
same number of men were employed,
there were but thirty-nine fatal acct
dents, and ninety-ive non-fatal acct.
dents.
Rhys T. Rhys Of Ottumwa, inspect
or OF mines for the second district,
comments on the accident feature Of
the report in his report to the state
board. He says that there are no
large accidents in Iowa, but that
the men are picked off one by one,
| like soldiers in skirmish.
This can be done away with to a
great extent, too, he points out, by a
! few changes in the law requiring
! greater care in mining. He advocates
| the enactment of laws requiring daily
! inspection of the coal face" in the
mines where men are working.
Relative to the maintenance Of es-
cape ways in the Iowa mines where
miners can escape in case of acct
dent or fire in the mines, he states
that two-thirds of the Iowa mines are
in fine condition and the others are
not bad. He recommends, however,
that the state law be so changed that
inspectors can determine how many
escape ways each mine should have
and how far the coal shafts can be
dug away from escape ways.
He also suggests that there should
be law providing for compensation
for workingmen injured in the mines.
Riggs Plans for Teachers Meeting.
With an address by Col. Theodore
Roosevelt as a feature, the fifty-sixth
annual meeting of the Iowa State
Teachers association which will be
held in Des Moines Nov. 3, and s,
promises to be the largest in point
Of attendance Of any in the history
Of the association. In the program
| for the session issued by John F.
Riggs, state superintendent of public
instruction, addresses by prominent
educators of the country and an elab-
crate program of social events were
announced.
Experts in special lines of teach
ing have been secured by the execu-
tive committee to give addresses and
take charge of instruction work. The
committee has already engaged Sup
erintendent Bishop of Minneapolis,
Prof. William A. Scott of Wisconsin,
Miss Sweeny of Minneapolis and Mrs.
Thomson and Mrs. Hefferan Of Chi
cago to make addresses. Other prom
inent speakers who will give ad-
dresses are Prof. P. P. Claxton Of
Knoxville, Tenn; Principal w. F.
Webster Of Minneapolis; County Sup
erintendent o. J. Kern of Rockford,
ILL.,; DR.. Ira Bender, assistant superin.
tendent of public schools, Buffalo, N.
Y; G. w. Conn, county superintend-
ent, Woodstock, H.; Prof. Hill M.
Bell of Des Moines; Hon. John F.
Riggs; Prof Arthur E. Bennett and
Superintendent H. E. Blackmar.
Yeaser Admits Violation Of Law.
George Yeager In formal answer
filed with the city council denied all
the charges made against him by the
Iowa Anti-Saloon league by Superin.
,, tendent Barber. He admitted that
houses of prostitution had, existed In
the city contrary to the law and that
liquor was sold in these houses, but
! declared that he had prosecuted al
such places against which he could
, obtain any evidence. He denied hav
, ing any knowledge Of saloons being
kept open after 10 o'clock or that he
! had given orders to his subordinates
{ not to modest any houses of prostitu
: ton. Mr.. Yeager also asserts thai
r gambling had existed in the city con
: trary to law, but declared that he hat
d prosecuted wherever he could obtair
evidence.
: Riveter Dashed to Death.
b A. w. Baldwin, a rivet driver OF
}. the Equitable building, fell from thu
r top of the structure, caught on |,
y scaffolding half way down where hi
\ body was cut in twain and fell II
pieces to the flooring below.
Population Of Des Moines Is s6,368.
, Des Moines official population, &C
; cording to the federal census for 1911,
l. is 86,36S, an increase of 80 per cen
a In the last ten years. In 1900 the fed
eral census gave Des Moines 62,134
The increase is 1929.