The Calumet news., 1911-12-09
Hancock Department
TALKS OF MINE
INSPECTOR LAW
SENATOR JAMES INTERVIEWED
At MARQUETTE. NOT GER.
TAIN AS TO HIS PoLlTl.
CAL PLANS.

Senator James, OF Hancock, was 4
Marquette visitor at the Shrlners scs.
sion. says the Mining Journal Thcr,
rs considerable interest in Senator
James political plans. but he Is "a,
chary OF definite information concern
ing them as he was on the occasion oI
his previous visit to Marquette. Tn,
senator is regarded as possible can
didatc for congress against II. O
Young. Of Isphemiug. but he has not
definitely decided whether he will enter
the race. II ia probable that he would
become a candidate If special session
of the legislature should be held and
the mining counties should be put
in now district. But if the present
Twelfth district is left intact until
after 1912 he win probably be a candi-
date for denomination and re- election
To the senate.
Il find i'm Marquette county some
misunderstanding of the law for the
direct election of mine inspectors '
Mr.. James said Yesterday. MANY peo-
pie are under the impression that the
law applies only to the copper country,
and that the election of these officials
I'm the iron counties is To be, I'm the
future as in the past by the board
of supervisors. on the contrary. the
inspectors are 10 be elected directly
by the people, beginning next fan, in
both the copper and iron counties.
THE bill was originally drawn To
cover both the iron and copper dis
tricts. ON representations that there
was no demand FOR the change in the
iron counties. they were dropped from
the bin. which was then to apply on
~ to the copper country. But we re-
ccived many requests from the iron
counties to have the bill include the
iron district, too. and so, It was re-
stored to its original form. and SO it
passed the senate two days before an
adjournment was taken"
A Comprehensive Measure.
The law is a comprehensive measure.
and it establishes certain qualifications
for candidates for the Office. ThCy
must speak the English language and
ir practical miners, must have had
at least ten years experience in min
ing timbering and general underground
work: if graduate mining engineers
they must have had two years practi-
cen! experience. Mining inspectors in
an iron and copper counties are TO be
elected i'm the fan of 1912 and to take
office Jan. 1, 1913. The law is silent
ON the question of how they are to
De nominated. but it is presumed they
will be nominated by direct primary.
as are all the other county officers.
It Is provided that all inspectors shall
receive not less than 50 a day and
the assistant inspectors not less than
$3.50 q day for all time actually put
in on their work.
Tho duties of the inspectors are ex-
plcity set forth in a long section of
the law. They are required to visit all
the working mines in their juricdiction
at least once in sixty days, and TO
condemn all places where conditions
are found To be dangerous, reporting
the same to the men in charge Of the
operations. The law provides that any
men who are continued at work in
places that are condemned by the in
spoctor shall do so at the employers
risk.
The statute is well thought out and
Senator James expects that good re-
suits will be obtained under it, II do
not apprehend that the mining COM
panics viii find that it will in any
way work 20 their disadvantage" he
said yesterday. Il believe the voters
can be relied on TO elect men who will
be fair alike to the employers and the
men who work about the mines, and
who will. be Qualified for the work.
The interest of the men certainly lies
in the side of getting wcll qualified in
spectors."
AS a matter Of fact, mining men eX-
press no concern at the presence Of the
law in the statute books. They are
bending all their energies TO putting
their mines i'm the bost OF condition
against the day when the operation OF
an employers liability law will make
them bear directly the money loss that
will arise from casualties in the work
ings.