Evening star., 1913-11-23

4uSSe IaCtS Ouer in0lSputaDle evidence
that conditions tending toward safety in
coal mining are actually improving. and
that coal Is now being mined with less
danger to the miner than ever before.
This general improvement has been
brought about by combination of causes.
the principal one. Of which has been more
efficient and effective mine inspection on
the part of the state mining departments
and state mine Inspectors throughout the
country, suPpletnented.by greater care on
the part Of both the operators and the
The investigative and educational work
fof the4bure&u Of ininess has kept both the
operator and the miner alive to the
various dangers connected with coal min
ing, and has shown what precautions
should be taken to avoid these dangers.
The government mining engineers are
grati1ed with the Improvement shown.
particularly as the greatest improvement
relates to dangers concerning which the
United States bureau of mines has been
conducting special Investigations as is
shown later. The bureau, however, cam
not too strongly express its appreciation
of the cooperation of the state mining
officials and the operators in the work
of making COAL IHining safer.
although there has been AN annual i'm
provement in4 mine safety conditions since
1907. and n particularly notable one In
1912. q still greater decrease In the death
such an improvements will be made in
1913 depends largeiy on the care exercised
by the operators, superintendents fore
men and all others In authority, and by
the miners as we'll, TO prevent the rise OF
dangerous conditions and to avoid un-
necessary risks when such conditions
have arisen = .s@..
| Notwithstanding the. marked progress
which has been made in. this country in
cutting down the number of fatalities
caused by mine accidents. the. United
States still has theAunenviable reputation
of losing more men in its coal mines each
year than amy ether country In the World,
an average of 22T0 deaths having resulted
during the period from 1901 to 1910. in
elusive. because of mine. accidents. Great
Britain !. came second with an Sayerng ge
yearly. death toll of 1,o1O men during the
same time. Great Britain. however. en-
pfoyedf an average Of more than s&0.OOo
men ihsffs mines; while the United States
employed less than 6OSOOO. giving this
country a rate Of 92-100 men killed in
every 1000 employed in and about coal
mines. against only l 10-1OO killed en-
ployed in and about the British mines.
During the years 1901 to 1910. inclusive,
Germany employed an average of more
It Nan 1872 600 men, and last year lost 1,O11.
Japan employed during the ten years an
average of 10000 men and lost an aver
age of 200, a year. France had a some
Wnal DeIleT T0COTu, eiplOyiI aver
age Of TIA 900 men during each of the ten
years. and losing 302 Relgium coming
next with an average of 10000 men en-
ployed and an annual death list of AZ.
According to the comparative statistics
compiled by Mr.. Horton, mining condi-
tions are better in Austria and Belgium.
as far as protection. of the life of miners
is concerned, than in any other country.
less than zone man being killed in each
of these countries per each loo en-
ployed. Commenting on the comparative
reports of deaths in the United States and
In foreign mines, Mr.. Horton says:
1T will be noted that the number killed
per 1000. 600 short tons of coal mined in
the United States is greater than In Great
Britain. Belgium. Austria and New South
Wales, but less than in Germany, France.
India and Japan. 1t should be stated how
ever that comparison on the produc-
ton basis of the United States with for
eien countries is unjust to the other coun-
tries because 1t is admitted that the
physical conditions concomitant with the
coal-mining industry of the foreign coun-
tries are not nearly as favorable to the
easy extraction of coal as in this country.
ION the other hand. comparison on the
basis Of the number Killed per iM., en-
ployed is more unfair to the United States.
with its enormously greater daily output
of coal per man. OF the two compari-
sons the one on the basis of production
is nearer the truth. and for that reason
to be preferred. Furthermore. 1t may be
stated that although the physical condi-
tions of the coal deposits in the United
states are more favorable for the safe
mining of coal than In any of the foSeign
countries enumerated, a careful anaNsis
of the statistics given in the preceding
tables indicates that the danger of the
Industry in the United States is greater
than in Great Britain. Belgium. Austria
Wales hllt not great
as in Germany. France. India or Japan
Owners of diamond solitaires or jewels
containing precious stones of any kind
may not be aware of the
diamond fact that during recent
,., months the standards OF
oLaAudIus. weighing their gems have
been changed, and that they are 2h to 8
per cent heavier than they were when the
stones were purchased by the old carat
weight. This apparent increase in the
carat weight is due to the fact that Uncle
Sam has adopted the metric carat, which
contains 200 milligrams to the unit
whereas the old carat which heretofore
has been used in the system Of weighing
all precious stones imported into this
country. contained more than 2oo milli-
grams. The average person purchasing
precious stones may take little notice OF
the effect of the change in the STANDARDS
Of carat weights, but some owners or
Jewels may notice the fact that the dia-
mond which they purchased today con-
tanning certain number of carats is
somewhat smaller than the one of the
same weight which may have been pur-
chased one year ago.
Import duties on diamonds and other
precious stones which are levied by the
governments customs officials are now all
based on the metric carat instead of the
old carat, and the new standard has also
been put into commercial use by pract-
cally all of the dealers in gems and pre-
cious stones in the United States. This
has been effected through the efforts of
a committee representing all of the prin-
cipal dealers In gems in this country.
Practically all the nations OF the world
have had considerable trouble In answer
ing the question what is a carat, and up
to the present time scarcely in any two OF
the important countries has the same
standard been used Even in the United
States there has. been in the past dis
agreement upon standards and the carat
weights have varied among different deal
ers, leading to confusion in the weigh
| ing of gems which is serious because of
| the great value of the stones
The movement for the adoption of a
uniform standard has been international
in scope. and the new metric carat of POI
milligramS has been adopted by the
, United States, Germany France, Spain.
Italy, Norway, Denmark, japan, Portu-
gal Bulgaria Roumania, Switzerland,
Sweden and Holland. The weights and