The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
Something Should he Done to Pro-
tect the Lives of the Men Who
Work in the Dark Shafts
Below.
FOUR OUT OF EVERY 1000
Mining is the Most Hazardous occu-
patton in the World and Gov
ernment May Take Suit
able Action.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-The
slaughter in our coal mines seems
to grow in horror with each day"
said j. F. Callbreath, secretary of the
American Mining Congress, who is in
Washington furthering the interests
of the Bureau of Mines bill. I'VE
haven't had time to get over the
shock of the Cherry mine holocaust,
with its 800 dead, until we are start
ed with an explosion in Colorado with
seventy-f1ve dead, and an explosion
two days later in Kentucky with
thirty-four dead What is worse,
these horrors will grow in intensity
and number unless the Ulited States
Government and the State Government
takes heroic steps"
IF the Unite States had the same
regard for the safety Of its workmen
as the different countries of Europe
continued Mr.. Callbreath, $4,000 out
of the 10000 men killed in the coal
mines of this country in the last ten
years would be living today. Thirty
thousand out of the $4,000 injured,
many OF them MANNED for life and
more of a financial burden to their
families than if they We're do;.d would
not have been injured. III e dill for
a bureau of mines has passed the
National House of Representatives
with an almost unanimous vote. II
cannot pass the Senate too soon. This
4 bill offers the only remedy--an in
\ lvestigation Of the causes OF these dis
f asters. The states have failed mis-
4 erably because the task is too large
for them. 1t is the states duty to
inspect the mines and issue regula'
4 tions that ought to be enforced, but 1t
is surely within the function of the
Federal Government to conduct the
scientific research into the mysterious
causes that are hurting SO many men
men into eternity and leaving Sc
many helpless widows and orphans in
our country"
Life ought not to be- measured
against dollars and will not be by any
one who has a full realization OF the
terrible conditions that prevail. To
day we are killing about four men each
year in every coal-mining camp OF
/ 900 men. The same holds true IN
metal mining, although the statistics
are not as complete as in coal min
. ing. Why, the only man who opposed
the bill in the House to any exten'
!, represent state whose iron mines
kill FIVE men in every 1000 employed
This record is almost twice as bad as
in the metal mines Of Africa, where
they have hordes of the cheapest la
Dor in the world, and where but little
attention is paid to the comfort o
? the men. Life is supposed to be helt
. cheaply there, but the figures SHOW
that it is cheaper in the state repres
ented by the gentlemen who opposed
the bill.
Mining is the most hazardous occu
patton on the face of the globe, ant
we believe that if the farmer, whose
: work is the safest, is entitled to
great department at Washington, will
appropriations aggregating $14,000,0O'
. year mining, with its dangers. will
its million and half men, is at leas
, entitled to small bureau. There il
nothing in the bill that will interfer'
with the rights of the states. Th'
government is to conduct the scientific
Investigations and report its finding
to the states. The work of simila
bureaus in Europe have resulted in
reduction of the death rate in th
| mines to one in 1000 men employed
| and surely we can do the same.
/ The bill has the Endorsement 0
the United Mine Workers, 100000
strong. the men who are most direct
| ly concerned, the mine owners, tn
\ leading science societies, the stat
/ mine inspectors and the state gee
i logists of the United States. 1t vii
/ pass the Senate as easily as it di'
/ the House, if the members realize it
/ full import, and l believe they do.
New Mayor Of Boston.