Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-04
PEACEFUL INDUSTRY HAS
HORRORS 40 GREAT As
THOSE OF WAR
Observation-Disclosures

Washington. Dec. 4-That peaceful
industry has its horrors as well as war
Is shown in the casualty list Of Ameri-
can mines and quarries for 1913. issued
by the United States bureau Of mines.
This list gives 1851 men killed In the
year. The number of men injured was
not tabulated, but it is estimated that
1t reached 100000.
Altogether in the coal mines. metal
mines and quarries 1,047,010 men were
employed, and the death rate for each
1000 men engaged was 3.4S. or nearly
three and one-half men.
Dr. Joseph A. Holmes, director of the
bureau of mines, comes forward with
the statement that, taking the hazards
of the industry into consideration, this
list of death and injury is excessive
and unnecessary, and discredit to the
industry and the country.
Commenting on the deaths in the
mines. DR.. Holmes said: I'VE stand
ashast at the slaughter in Europe as
reports reach US concerning the terri
bic war that is raging, and we pride
ourselves on our freedom from war
thru the adaptation of higher ideals
and standards. Yet to me this report
on the deaths in one year OF 1861 men
engaged in a peaceful industry Is quite
as discreditable. And when we consid-
er that this record is being repeated
year after year, the very thought Of
it becomes appalling. In the last three
years, as far back as the records of
the bureau covering certain branches
of the industry go. the mines and
quarries of the United States have
swallowed up 10,4S7 human lives and
have incapacitated temporarily proba
bly, quarter of million men. And
the saddest part of it all is that a great
part of this death roll and a still great
err part of the injuries are not neces-
sary. I believe I am conservative when
I say that half of the 1851 men killed
in the year 1913 might have been saved
and three fourths of the 100000 men
injured in the same year might have
escaped injury had all the various
agencies involved, the operators. the
miners, and the state and national gov
ernments done their full duty in the
matter. Perhaps no one Of these agen-
cies has done it's full duty. For the
bureau OF mines, as representing the
federal government can say that, ow-
ing to lack of adequate funds, this
bureau has fallen short of doing it's
full part in this great safety move
ment; and therefore hesitate to crti-
ciZe the seeming shortcomings of any
other agency.
TT is not to the cerdit of the United
States that the very European coun-
tries embroilcd in the greatest con-
flict of the ages kill in their mining in
dustries but one-half or even one-third
Of the number of men we kill. l refer
to the number killed for every 1000
employed which is a fair basis for COM
parison., According to the latest for
eign statistics, Belgium killed one man
in every 1000: Great Britain and
France one and one-half men; and
Germany two and one-half men; as
compared with the American death
rate of three and one-half
With such a grewsome record as
has the United States in it's mining in
dustry, it is high time something more
drastic is done to bring this excessive
loss of life down to basis that will
be more favorably comparable with
other countries. 1t can be done, it
should be done:s and hope that the
American people will see that it is
DONE -.