The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-12-04
M|N|NGMENAREGATHEREI
HERE FOR. BIG INsTITQITE

MASONIC ASSEMBLY ROOM ON
THIS AFTERNOON. JUDGE HAY:
2 MoND WELCOMED THE visl.
TORS TO THE CITY. PRESIDENT
HAAS MADE FINE ADDRESS.
The Winter, Meeting Of the West
Virginia Mining Institute is on in full
blast this afternoon and a large nun.
ber Of the members of the Institute
and a number Of visitors have regis.
tered and will continue to register
Throughout the remainder OF today
and tomorrow.
81 On account Of a number OF tnr
prominent members OF the Institute
being unable to reach this city until
this afternoon, the programme which
was scheduled to take place this morn
Ing was postponed until this after.
noon.
This afternoon the programme was
carried out that was scheduled for
the morning session with some slight
changes.
President Haas made the ope:ling
address which is given below, he
said N
Gentlemen:
We are about to open the semi.an-
nual meeting Of our Institute. | am
glad to see even at the first session.
with some OF our members still 10 ar
rive. that We have very satisfactory
and representative body present.
& Our Institute Is not a money max
ing proposition. nor was It SO design.
ed which the report OF the secretary
will shortly indicate; but money in
the bank is not the measure Of the
success OF an institution of this kind.
nor is the magnitude OF membership
roll criterion. In my opinion the In:
stitute is In very prosperous condi:
ton and can add that 1t has exceed:
ed the hopes and expectations III Of
those who were instrumental of Its
inception, The record OF our pro.
ceedings, from a small collection of
papers, has reached in size the dignity
of-avolume and its contents are$wide.
ly quoted through the country BY! the
technical journals. Furthermore.
those Of the mining profession Of this,
and | might add OF adjoining states,
are keen to know what, that is new.
has been brought. forth in our meet
inss, and particularly are they anx.
ious AS to what has been done or Will
be done with such important ques-
tions as for instance. "The gas wells
through our Mines
To be concise, the. measure of sue.
cess Of our Institute Is the attention
We attract from the mining profes.
sion at large and the interest inspir.
cd among ourselves in these problems
Of common interest.
II might not be amiss at this time
to suggest that a revision OF our con.
stitution would be Advisable. AS
some Of you may recall our constitu.
tion was rather hurriedly constructed
and some things were overlooked, 9th.
ers omitted. which II placed in the
hands OF committee with time to
act, might be readily remedied and ad
justed more to our needs.
That nightmare, mining legislation,
has been thrust before us again, not
from within but from the adjoining
and neighboring state of Pennsylvania
after many months and perhaps years
of threats and entreaties she has Ia.
bored forth Q volume OF presents
which, for size and i,,compreiiensibIl,
ity. demands respect 1t Is not my In
tention to criticize the new Pennsyl
vania mining law at this time, but
merely to bring forth few facts and
some opinions on the mine law ques
tion which may be pertinent In com
parison. Even though. in fact but q
few days past. West Virginia as a
coal producing state has been styled
an economic bluader by some of our
Pennsylvania friends. We may yet live
by patterning her virtues and profit
by her follIes.
In my opinion the mine law should
be short and concise that people will
learn; they must be plain in order to
10 y
be understood; their enforcement must
be rigid that they viii be respected
Facts that are Involved In volumes
OF matter are rarely discovered, ella.
boration mystifis rather than exemp
liles and a law which Is not enforced
is ridiculed with common malpractice.
1t has been matter OF regret to
me that our Institute has not enter.
ed Into the consideration of certain
features Of mine laws, 1t is certain,
ly the most; suggestive and prolific
field we have. This does not mean
that this institute Is to assume to die,
tate legislation but thoroughly be.
lleye that through It's transactions
that the mining questions involved In
the laws should be thorougly eluci
dated. not only for our own informa.
tion but for those whose duty 1t is to