The Detroit times., 1913-12-08
RAYMOND w. PULLMAN,
Times WGshin0tom Bureau. No. 7(
Metropolitan BOMB ButIdjnO.


Ttmes Washin0ron Bureau. No. 70i
Metropolitan BOMB Building.
WASHINGTON. d. c.. Dec. g.
In what line OF work does man
run the greatest
Dangerous risk of losing his
Occupations. life?" The popu-
lar interest In this
question IL indicated BY the frequent
inquiries which come into the ofices
OF the chiefs Of the United States
bureau OF the census, the bureau
OF mines, several bureaus of the
new department Of labor and other
branches OF the government request
ing information on the relative hazard
Of occupation as shown by the latest
mortality statistics.
The information usually furnished
is complied from the statistics of the
bureau OF the census, and the tables
show percentages OF deaths from ac-
cidents which In many cases are truly
startling. The statistics gathered by
the bureau Of the census indicates
that in many lines Of occupation there
Is an urgent need for rapid spread
OF the safety first" movement.
Steam railroad employees stand at
the head of the list In the percentage
of deaths from accidents In the total
number Of deaths from all causes in
the various occupations, according TO
the latest census figures. OF the to-
tai number OF deaths among steam
railroad employees, who are In active
service, SO 4-10 per cent are due to
T1to nf
course, that more than half OF the
men who have been employed on rail-
roads die from accidents. The figures
merely apply to the number Of deaths
caused while the men are actively
occupied in the operation OF steam
railroads, and does not apply to deaths
from various causes after the men
have left the roads or have been gu
perannuated.
Next to steam railroad employees the
worst death hazard IL found among
miners and Quarrymen. and Of the
number Of deaths among these men,
while In active service, 80 $40 per
cent are caused by accidents. More
men are killed on the street railways
OF the country than the average per-
son would suspect, and of the total
number of deaths from all causes
among men operating transit systems
of cities, 25 5-10 per cent are due to
accidents Electricians come next
with an accident death list amounting
to 23 $40 per cent OF the total num-
ber Of deaths from all causes result
ing while the men are actively occu-
pied In their vocation.
Boatmen and sailors and iron and
steel workers are engaged in wnat
most people think are two OF the most
dangerous occupations. yet the acci-
dent death list In these two groups Is
very small compared with the per-
centage of accidents among steam
railroad employees and miners and
Quarrymen. The percentage OF acct
dental deaths among b0atmen and
sailors each year Is II $40 OF the to-
tai number Of deaths from all causes,
and the percentage Of accidents
among iron and steel workers Is
16 2-10.
draymen and hackmen and teamsters
who die each year. 13 ITO per cent
Of the mortality Is due to accidents.
Engineers ana firemen not engaged In
steam railroad work lose by accident
IL 5-10 per cent of the total number
OF men In this occupation who die
each year from all causes. Tinplate
and tinware workers come next with
10 4-10 per cent; laborers. 8 2-1O per
cent, and watchmen. policemen and
firemen. 8 lilo per cent. Agricultural
pursuits offer the lowest death hazard
among the IL occupations which are
listed. and the number Of deaths from
all causes among men who till the
soil each year only 4-10 per cent
are caused by accidents.
Members OF congress were startled
somewhat this past week when they
received q report
Wasting Of showing that in a
Natural Gas. single oil field in
Oklahoma $4,000
worth of natural gas is wasted each
day while the operators are obtaining
an output Of less than 10000 barrels
of oil, valued at approximately $20..
600. This means q yearly waste OF
natural gas valued at approximately
&25, 100000 In one oil-producing Sec
ton.
This plan OF wasting 1915 worth Of
natural resources for every one dol
lars worth taken from the ground
did not strike the congressman who
read the report as good business prac-
tice, and It Is probable that further
petroleum and natural gas inyestiga.
tions by the bureau of mines will be
authorized, with a view of encourag-
ing tile more economical development
and use of the oil fields OF the entire
country.
Secretary Lane of the department
of the interior, In illustrating the need
for further natural gas and petroleum
investigations, has called attention