Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-07
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

That the federal government intends to
enforce its policy in the conservation of
human life and natural re-
For Mine sources as far as it can
c.e stretch its jurisdiction is evil
oaIety. denced in an important or
der which has been issued by the In
terror Department.
This new order practically amounts to
federal dictation to the coal operators
of the state of Oklahoma as to just how
they shall be permitted to mine their
coal. 1t declares that in the interest of
safety, the operators must use only the
so-called permissible explosives" passed
! upon by the United States bureau of
mines. One exception is made to this
rule-the operators may use the deadly
black powder. which has been the cause
of so many explosions with great loss
of life, providing all the men are out
of the mine, and the shots are fred by
electricity from the outside.
, The federal government is assuming its
authority in this matter from the fact
that nearly all of the coal lands of Okla
homa belong to the Indians and are leas-
ed through the Interior Department to
the operators. The Interior Department.
being the guardian of the Indians and
managing their interests, has concluded
that 1t has a perfect right to make the
regulations for the development of the
Indians property. The order is effective
August next, and is considered by
many operators of other states as being
drastic. The more progressive operators
admit. however. that the move is in the
interest of protecting the miner and
should result in saving many human lives.
which are frequently snuffed out in the
mines in which dangerous explosives are
used.
1t is understood that the Interior De-
partment was led to take this step after
a study Of the killing of miners in Okla
homa in the last ten years. The records
show that in that period about five and
one-half men in every 1000 employed
have lost their lives each year. This is
far above the average for the entire
country.
The order follows the declaration of
Cato Sells, commissioner of Indian af-
fairs. to the oil operators of Oklahoma
who are leasing Indian lands that the
oil must cease under penalty of a big
fine. or the cancellation of the leases. AL
ready a number of oil men have been
fined for wasting natural gas.
A still further evidence of the broad
ening of the conservation policy is seen
in the fact that the Gebo coal mine. a
leased property in Wyoming, is operating
under regulations prepared by the bu-
reau of mines of the Interior Department.
One of the engineers of the bureau Wis
tied the Gebo mine shortly after it was
leased by the government and his recon-
mendations for the safe operation of the
mine were at once put into regulations
and issued by the Secretary of the In
terror 1t is said that this mine has an
| enviable record for safety, having oper-
ated for more than a year under the
model regulations prepared by the bu-
reau of mines. II the general bill now
before Congress for the leasing of coal
lands on the public domain is passed.
it is plain to be seen that the mines de-
| veloped will come within the jurisdiction
of the governments mining experts. 1t
is difficult to state just how extensive this
Jurisdiction may become. and how big a
factor it may prove in cutting down the
high death rate among the miners of this
country.