United labor bulletin., 1910-11-24
NEGLIGENCE
CAUSE OF EXPLOSIONS.
(continued from Page ID

Ter the 1OlOWlu& plaus Iu&t you az
point a commission of three, one from
the commissioner of mines ONCE, one
from the department of labor, and one
from the state engineers ofice. with an
attorney from the attorney-general's Of
fee who could examine witnesses and
attend to the legal details essential to
Investigations of this character, and
think that stenographer could be found
or the means provided to pay for one,
who could do that part Of the work and
1 would further suggest in view of the
Investigations made by this department,
that while it is our purpose to give the
coal companies of southern Colorado
every opportunity to present their side
of the case, when this commission makes
its investigation and it becomes neces-
sary to subpoena or summon employees
of the various companies that the COM
mission have a right to hold executive
sessions in order to learn the true condi-
tions that prevail in those two counties,
without the fear Of the deputy sherihs
employed by the fuel company. Too
much cannot be said in condemnation
of the deputy sheriffs maintained under
the guise of law, whose principal duties
are to bulldoze and maltreat employees
of the various companies. 1t appears to
me that there should be no hesitancy in
attacking the conditions that now pre-
vail in Huerfano and Las Animas coun-
ties. 1 feel assured that every right
minded citizen of this state would like
to know the true conditions Of the coal
fields Of southern Colorado and If the
company or companies doing business in
Of bo tat
fair, they will afford every opportunity
for the investigation of the conditions
otherwise, they simply demonstrate that
they are unfair
trusting you may see your way clear
to take this matter up and see II some
action along the line suggested cannot
be taken, remain,
Respectfully yours.
EDWIN v. BRAKE,
Deputy State Labor Commissioner"
Since the awful Primero affair. we
have that great death list of Starkville.
and in his report on this AFFAIR Deputy
Gross repeats some If his sickening de-
scription about Primero.
Then follows quickly Delagua, with
tremendous death list; and it is safe to
say that the reports win chronicle the
same conditions and then be fled
The labor ofiice has no function to
perform excepting investigating and
then filing the report We will leave 1t
to the reader of the above as to who
neglected his duty.
The commission appointed by the gov
ernor sat in the state senate chamber at
the state capitol Wednesday to listen to
suggestions from any who cared to make
them. A few miners tried to tell the
committee that concrete props and other
improvements of that sort was what was
needed, and the commission was begin
ming to think that there was not much
the matter at all. when Labor Commits
sioner Brake took the floor and exploded
the prop idea. He said:
This talk OF concrete props Is all nom
sense. What is needed in the southern
coal fields is the enforcement Of the laws
we now have and the passage OF law
giving the mining department. the power
to close mine when 1t is found to be in
bad condition and dangerous to life and
property.
'Tt is the lawlessness Of the coal CON-
panies that is the cause Of all this loss
Of life When my deputies went to Pri-
nero they were met at the station and
told by hired gunmen with ass in their
belts to go over 10 the company head
quarters and get what information they
wanted. The law has not been complied
with in the southern coal fields, as
shown by the report / have filed with
the governor.
THE commission should recommend
that an adequate eight-hour law should
be drafted. and providing that regular
shifts be worked SO that men may not
be allowed to work miscellaneously and
be in the mine when firing 10 being
done unknown to others. When an ex-
plosion occurs in one OF these mines 4
canvas must be made to
ascertain the number killed.
Miners should have some kind OF q
certificate OF competency before they are
allowed to enter a gaseous mine. In the
southern fields all nationalities are al
lowed to work irrespective OF their ex-
perience, some being allowed to go In
by themselves when they have never
mined coal before in their lives. coming
from the farms Of southern Russian. And
Japs the same. with no one in the dis
trict who can speak their language to In
struct them"
Mr.. Brake spoke at length. and during
his talk the members of the commission
were busy taking notes. showing that
great Importance was given the talk of
the labor commissioner.
The commission continued their sit
tings at the capitol. and Monday win
visit the southern coal fields.
Try q Principe de Lees cigar for an
after-dinner smoke.