The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-04
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Mining Bill
e Editor of The Age-Herald.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
I notice by your paper of January 30,
1911, that there may be some opposition
to the new mining bill and 1t certainly
needs some opposition and amending. The
seriously opposed section Is that which
provides that all miners must at frs.
ascertain that the mine is not, gaseous
before entering. Now, this section is
wrong, as 1t places a condition on the
miner and not on the operator. We will
suppose that a miner gets into the mine
without seeing the fire boss to find out
If the mine is clear of gas; the miner
walks into his working place and gets
burned. He has violated the conditions
of this section and there would not be
Now, on the other hand, place the condi-
tion on the operator; his superintendent,
mine foreman or fire boss. 1t shall be
the duty of the fire boss to examine
every working place in the mine and at
the entrance to each working place write
upon board the condition of said place,
such as February l. 1911, gas; or Feb
ruary /, 1911, clear; then the miner knows
whether to go into his place or stay out;
there should also be a record book kept
at the mine so that the fire boss can
place on record the condition of the mine
after his examination of same, which
should be dated; if the fire boss fails in
his duty and a miner gets burned the
operator is due him compensation; If the
miner walks over the fire boss's board
when marked gas and gets burned he
cannot recover damages.
Now, speaking of gas in mines, have
the operators, or 1 should say, the franz
ers of this new mining bill, inserted a
section In the new bill to control the
operation of mines generating noxious and
explosive gases? They have not; they
have avoided this, the most Dangerous
of condition met with in coal mines
they have not offered any plan to elimi-
nate or to reduce the number of deaths
caused by gas explosions in the mines
of this state. There are two methods
under which the gaseous mines of this
state can be operated both in an eco
nomical way and which will reduce the
number of fatal accidents in those mines
to a minimum, the trainers of the new
bill have also avoided the use of drag
on the rear-end of the cars or trips of
cars on slopes or planes where the grade
Is against the loaded cars. There have
been II fatal accidents in the last year
in the mines of this state from this cause
alone. Does this look like they have
surrounded the employees with added pro-
tection?
Section one of the bill, which covers
the plan of the chief mine inspector and
hiS associates, is not in accord with pro-
gression or advancement Should the mine
inspectors office be a political Office 1t
should now eliminate this office from pol
itics. Let the applicants for chief mine
inspector and associate mine inspectors
required to stand an examination for
that Office only; the examination for
this office should be more rigid than the
examination for mine foreman, requir-
ing first-class certificate and in no case
should the applicant be accepted when
his percentage falls below 80. then the
successful applicant can be appointed in
a formal way by the governor. The min
ing district of the state should be d.
vided into five districts, placing one mine