The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-21
RAMSAY TALKS OF
 EUROPEAN TRIP Widely Different Conditions
 Exist There THE COAL SYNDICATE Output and Prices Controlled-Wit Exception of Labor, Cost of Pro- duction Is Large-Krupp
 Plant Visited
THE COAL SYNDICATE

After touring the principle industria centers of Europe with a party of mine experts, looking into the manner of 1n- dustrial operations in that country, Frs kline Ramsay vice president and chiei engineer of the Pratt Consolidated com pany, returned to his offices yesterday morning. While away from Birmingham the party, composed of G. S. Rice, Frs kline Ramsay, G. B. Hodesty, A. B. Jes- sup. Henry Warren and George G. Bart, examined over 50 of the most prominen. mines of Europe. They went through many countries as the guests of the va rious governments and were accorded the most splendid hospitality.
 At his offices yesterday morning Mir. Ramsay was engaged most of the time receiving friends who came in to pay their respects to him and to ask about the inspection made by the party or mine experts.
 In talking of his travels MT. Ramsay said:
 "It would not be fair to this country, industrially, to compare the mine oper-
 
 if one was pledged to make a compari- son, America would not show up ad- mira bly,, but so long as 1t is unneces- sary the comparison should not be made. In the old country. they have some vastly different propositions to those in Amerl- ca and they are forced to expend much greater sums of money to get their coal than in America.
 Different Conditions
 "The surface conditions and those un- derground where the coal is located are so widely different than those here that their conditions are incomparable to min ing in this country. Tn shaft mining there we entered one mine where the shaft was over one-half mile deep and am safe in saying that no such shaft has ever yet been sunk in this country. The'r coal is very much deeper than it IS in this country and in working 1t they are forced to expend a correspondingly great CT amount of money.
 Living conditions there are not as good as in America, according to our obserya- ton. The homes provided cannot com pare to those provided by some of ;he American companies, while there are oth- CT differences that make the conditions here much better than in those camps.
 ',In Europe the troubles we have they also possess to a greater or lesser degree. We went into the Carrier mine situated in the Lens district of France, where 1900 workmen were killed by a gas cx- plosion. The party of American mine men looked over that mine with great in terest as the explosion there is reported to have been among the most terrible catastrophies that ever befell European mining.
 '-The protection afforded the workmen there are no better than those of Ameri- ca AS a matter of fact all the laws are about the same, but. if anything. the Ala bama mine laws recently placed upon our statute books are a little bit better han the kind found in Europe. At White haven. England, we went into mine by that name. The adjoining shaft recently exploded, killing a large number of men. The mine where the accident happened is still shut down and will not be placed in operation TOT some lew Weehs. mat Hihe runs over four miles under bay in the Irish sea and is perhaps the most wonder full deposit Of coal in that region, The mine is wei kept up and evidences of most careful management are to be seen. this the mine blew mp about IS months ago, resulting in fear full death toll.
 
 Yorkshire Fields
 "The Yorkshire coal field, which has recently been opened, is perhaps the most