Evening star., 1913-07-27

the miner II to his family. His death.
without referring to the agony of tho
bereaved widow and the grief OF the
fatheriess children, means I'm many IN
stances a family disrupted. the mother.
with her proper duties at home taking
care of her children forced to accept any
sort OF employment outside. the children
perhaps leaving school at too early an
age and also forced TO do what they. can
10 provids food and clothing.
Often the children are too young to 20
20 W rl. and the charities OF the town
have TO be appealed to. This IL the hu-
man side in the loss OF a miner to his
yanot,y. The state and the national also
iosa the productiveness Of the man. which
e. an economic loss that Is difncult TO
estimate
"a ouarrymen in the United States, and
IN the wear 19l1. the only year that this
nn,,ntrv has complete statistics for the
deaths among coal miners, metal miners
snd ouarrymen. S,6s2 men gave up their
lives in the industry.
Tarinr a statistical method OF comput-
,,g ,b.s value or a mans life as given by
aome insurance companies, and certain
states through their statutes NS,Vo, we
n We an economic waste OF more than
aiph.een million dollars worth OF hu-
man resources In one year through one
Industry. This does not take into calcu-
latiou the loss throuRh injuries which
would bring the totals UP 10 more than
miners were seriously injured. and 40
lga were slightly injured. In each In
stance the miners :nily suffered
through loss OF time OF the breadwinner.
This $Oo00.ooo OF economic loss was
felt In practically every state in the
Union. for there is no state that does not
contain ether naiues or qunrries.
The federal government took up the
investigation OF the causes OF mine ac-
cidents in 1908 following the disastrous
year Of 1907 in tho coal mine industry.
when 3,1sT men we're killed. Since that
time no year has approached 1907 in the
number Of deaths among coal miners.
II the number OF deaths In 1877 had
through 1912 nearly 5000 more miners
would have beer killed st their work.
These men were apereu TO their families:
their wives and their children were saved
the heartbreeks ard the narrowing scenes
OF death; the 3.1|1 remain to furnish
susteRance to the wives and children. to
educate and bring the girls and boys up
to be good men ana women ard citizens
OF the community. and the nation was
spared the economic loss Of the death OF
The influence OF the bureau OF mines
and the various agencies which are en-
listed In this campaign for humanity ex-
tends beyond the immediate family of the
miner. and incidentally touches every
home in the United States. Il is sad
commentary on American law that In
many Instances where miners are killed
the widows and children become charges
upon the county or state, especially the
young children. This means that the
burden OF caring for these falls generally
upon all the people. Il is evident that
Just TO the extent or this state help 1t
has increased the cost o. living OF every
citizen in the state.
The bureau Of mines and other agencies
are leeseninR this cost by saving the
miner to his family. Although the cam
paign has been on but a few years. ii has
shown splendid results In lives saved:
and 1 believe that the saving of life VIII
increase more rapidly as the !. ears go BY
As q Leeialator Sees the Govern
ment's Work for Better Homes.
M Edward w. Townsend. reprcsests-
tive fssa New jersey. creator OF the
famous s0caOsegtcal type. "Chimmie
Fadden,0 and author Of many novels
dealing With problems ef the home.
There IL something little paternai
perhaps in the extent TO which the fed
eral government has entered into the
activities OF American homes However.
Il n a kind Of paternarsm that Is not at
all likely to lead to any governmental
evils, but. rather. Is quite certain to 40
q great amount OF good.
Aside from the immediate and direct
influences exerted BY the advice given
by government experts on hcme life.
there 10 quite certain to follow an In
teresting indirect good. In the homes
where conditions have been improved by
the adoption OF methods and devices sug-
gestea By government experts, the gov.
ernment itself. II seems likely. will cease
to be q shadoWy abstraction unrelated to
the people. Men and women will come
to think OF the government as something
besides an organization which taxes
them: they viii see that 1t is an organ-
isation having the good Of the individ-
Aft1r this changed conception OF the
government takes place 1t will be hard
to measure the value of this indirect
benefit A more ffiendly regard for the
government stimulated by these ACTIVE
ties Of government experts who advise
wisely as to so maf4y phases Of home
living will extend from the home into
the field Of politics and this indirect good
will Operate powerfully.
Il is interesting to speculate upon how
differently voters will exercise their
political privileges In respect to "a gov
eminent viewed In this light. Members
o. Congress, :or instance, will not be
voted for because they are on this. or that
ticket, and for the purpose OF sending
them away from home for two years, bur
they will be selected and voted for. pre-
sumably, because they seem to be the
kind Of men voters are seeking. not to
exile for q couple Of years. but TO be-
come a part of that government which
has been found to have SO friendly an
interest In the citizens.