Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-07-04
DEATHS IN MINE DISASTERS DECREASING
GREAT REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF LIVES LOST IN UNDER.
 GROUND ACCIDENTS,
Is Partially Due to Investigations In- stituted by United States Gov. erEment-1907 Was Black
 Year.

Washington, July 3.-That the high tide in the terrible death rate in Am ercan coal mines has been reached and passed is the confident belief of the officials of the United States Bu- reau of Mines.
 Figures issued today by the Bureau show that 2,517 men were killed in the mines last year as against 2,S34 for 1910. This shows reduction in the number of lives lost of 317 in one years time. The death rate in 1910 was 3.91 men in every 1000 employed The rate in 1911 was 3.74
 Compared with 1907, the darkest year in the history American mining, when 3,197 men lost their lives, 1911 shows a decrease of 6S0 in the number of men killed. It was following the record of this year that Congress au- thorized the government to hegin in cstigations looking toward reduc- ton in the death rate and this was supplemented in 1910 by the creation of the Bureau of Mines.
 Discussing the death statistics of tue coal mines, Dr. Joseph A. Holmes, Director of the Bureau of Mines said: While these latest mortality statis- tics in the coal mines of the country show slight improvement over the previous years, the United States has still no record to be proud of. In spite of the progress we have made, we are still far below the standard of safety that we ought to have reach cd.
 ''It is of course comforting to know that for each year since 1907 there has been decreasing number of men killed for every million tons of coal mined, and that for every life lost we have each year taken out of the earth nore tons of coal. This is an inn provement in the right direction. hope that within the next year or two we will see as great an improve lnent ih the reduction of the number of men killed per LOGO men employ ed
 "The Bureau is cooperating with the State Mine Inspectors, the mine workers and with the mine operators 1 itf an endeavor to solve many of the difficult problems connected with the coal mining industry in this country. In this effort all the above forces are cooperating in good spirit in the determination to bring about bet 1 ter conditions. In this cooperative effort there is also serious need of the statesmen. No branch of indus try in this country is on so bad an economic basis today as is the coal mining industry, and this industry can never be placed on satisfactory basis until, through important legls- lative changes, improvement in this economic basis is made possible
 It was early in 1908 that the Fed eral government began it's investiga- ton of the causes of mine disasters following the climax of accidents in 1907 The record for 1907 and the following years is as follows:
 1907, thirty-one hundred and ninety seven men killed, or 4.SS in every LOGO employed.
 1908, twenty-four hundred and for ty-nine killed, or 3U1 Ill every 1000 employed.
 1909, twenty-siX hundred and sixty eight killed, or in every 1000 em- ployed.
 1910, twenty-eight hundred and tlMr- ty-four men killed, or 3.91 in every 1000 employed.
 l 1911, twenty-five hundred and sev- enteen men killed, or 3.74 in every 1000 employed.