Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1913-07-18
DURANT EXPLAINS
HIS POSITION
BRYAN COUNTY LEGISLATOR OP-
POSES STRIKING OUT SECTION
IS OF NEW MINING BILL

The following is received from ".
A. Durant, one OF this county's repr
sentatives in the state legislature:
Durant, Okla. July IL, 1918.
Il. NJ. Evans Editor Durant News.
City.
Dear Sir:
At the Regular Session of the
Fourth Legislature. there was adopted
a measure known as the Mining BILL"
Section Is of this Bill did then. and
has since. caused considerable agita-
ton over the state. and being mem
Der OF the Legislature, and having
taken some part In the passage of this
Bill. though. perhaps. Il would be
interesting to your readers to know
my views on the same. After this bill
was introduced. the matter was re-
ferred to a committee of the Senate,
who thoroughly investigated the same,
and reported unanimously in favor Of
the measure. The Bill was also in
vestigated by committee OF the house
and was reported by that committee
with but one dissenting vote. The en-
tire measure passed the Senate Win
vote OF thirty-five TO three. and the
House by a vote of seventy-four TO
three. Then the Bill went to the Gov
ernor and was given a public hearing
and was duly signed by him and be-
came a law.
At the time this matter was before
the Legislature, Itook some time to
investigate the same, and since the
bill passed the Legislature. | have
gone into the matter to a greater ex-
hmnf nd ho
xinced that my action in voting for
this measure was correct and that
acted for the best interest of you and
the other people l represent.
I find as the result of my investiga-
ton. that the present system of min
ing coal in the State of Oklahoma. is
for the miner to drill hole in a solid
hank of coal. as deep and as large as
he sees fit, and in this hole he puts
charge Of powder or dynamite. the size
of which is absolutely within his own
discretion. This is about all the miner
does toward mining the coal. At night
a man known as shot firer," goes
into the mine and fires these shots.
These explosives. of course, are an i'm
partial force, and when once set to
work in the coal do not confine their
operations, but work with equal pow
er upon the rock or slate which may
be in their path. Therefore. the
charge of powder or dynamite which
viii shatter coal. will. extending be-
vond the coal. shatter TIE roof also. II
Is my belief that in mines where roof
conditions are naturally dangerous.
and where the unsupported layer OF
rock or shale must support the over
burden, as is the case in almost every
s-ulre in the state cf Oklahoma. 1t is
suicidal 10 further weaken the roof
support by shooting it to pieces by a
heavy charge of powder.
The records of the United States
show that only a small percentage of
the men are killed by mine explosions.
nut that little over forty-eight per-
cent are killed by roof falls. III the
coal is undermined. instead Of being
shot from the solid. II will only take
very small charge OF powder TO break
the coal from its support above.
also found another serious object
tion 10 the present practice OF shoot
ing coal from the solid-wheu the shot
is fired back In the solid coal. the coal
NOT having been undermined or loosen
ed. is thrown violently out into the
room: the portion OF coal that Is torn
loose being Jared into very small pie
ces. in fact, a large per cent heinc
ground into dust or slack All Of this
Is gathered up by the miner and cartef
out as''mine cut" coal and miners rece
i've the same pay, and II costs the on
orator the same to mine this dust ol
slack coal as 1t does the lump Thii
system being extensively used. larg'
amount of this character of coal Il
yroduced, hence, the market is con
tinuaIIy flooded with slack coal. con
peauently the operator is compelled Z
dispose of this coal at a loss. But tn
operator is not the only one who lose
IN the long run; the law of supply ant
demand fixes the price There beini
less lump and more slack mined, tn
vrfce OF the lumD goes up and tn
uwkee OF the slack goes down. Tn
householders of Oklahoma are tn
ueople who use the lump. and they ar
tlse people who lose in the end by thi
operation.
After investigating this matter Del
wonaIly, / sincerely believe that IL tn
miners are compelled to undercut tn
coal before shooting II. the production
Of lump coal in Oklahoma will be s
much greater that the price OF sam
will be- reduced at least twenty-fiv
Der cent within twelve months afte
fFis law goes into effect.
There has been a petition filed wit
tfe Secretary of State referring Sex
af0u Is of this bill to the people to }
voted upon AngIist 5th--the qnestio
being. ~sball Section is Of this bill b
vsfoed9~ I am going TO vote mo. O
mis- proDnsition. and l believe II ls
the interest Of every voter in the sta