The Detroit times., 1914-06-08
RAYnoNp ~ PULLMAN.

Times Washington BHredu. No. 70i
metropolitan Bank Building.
WASHINGTON. June S.-That the
federal government Intends 10 en-
force its policy In
For Mine the conservation
Safety. OF human life and
natural resources
as far as II can stretch its jurisdic-
ton is evidenced in an important or
der which has been issued by the in
terror department.
This new order practically amounts
20 federal dictation 10 the coal oper-
ators OF the state OF oklahoma as 10
JUS, how they shall be permitted 20
mine their coal II declares that in
the interest of safety. the operators
must use only the sO-called 'permis-
sible explosives" passed upon by the
United States bureau OF mines One
exception is made to this blackepow-
der 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 fired by
electricity from the outside
The federal government is assum-
ing its authority in this matter from
the fact that nearly all OF the coal
lands OF Oklahoma belong 20 the In
dians and are leased through the in.
terror department 10 the operators
The interior department AslHE the
guardian OF the Indians and manag
! ing their interests, has concluded that
ia has perfect right 10 make the
regulations for the development OF
the Indians property. The order Is
effective Aug next, and is consider
ed ny many operators OF other states
as being drastic The more progress
sive operators admit, however, that
the move Is in the interest OF protect
tng the miner and should result In
saving many human lives. which are
frequently snuffed out in the mines IN
which dangerous explosives are used
II is understood that the interior
department was led 10 take THIS steI
after study OF the Killing OF miners
In Oklahoma In the last ten years
The resords show that in that period
about Ave and one.half men In every
000 employed have lost their live.
each year This is far above the
average for the entire country.
The order follows the declaration
OF Cato Sells. commissioner OF Indiar
affairs, 70 the oil operators OF Okla
homa who are leasing Indian lands
that the waste OF natural gas In IN,
drilling for oil must cease under pen
atty OF a big fine. or the cancellation
OF the leases Already a number o
oil men have been fined for wastinl
natural gas
4 still further evidence OF III,
broadening Of the conservation policy
Is seen in the fact that the Gebo Goa
mine = leased property Ia Ayyaming
IS operating under regulations pre-
pared by the bureau OF mines OF thu
interior department One OF the en-
gineers OF the bureau visited the Geb,
mine shortly after II was leased b!
the government and his recommends
tons for the safe operation OF TIT
mine were at once put into regula
tons and issued by the secretary o
the interior. IL Is said that this mint
has an enviable record for safety
having operated for more than a yea
under the model regulations prepare,
by the bureau OF mines II the gen
eral bill now before congress for tn,
Il asing OF coal lands on the publi
= domain Il passed II IS plain to b
seen that the mines developed vii
come within the jurisdiction OF tn
governments mining experts. II 4
difficult TO state just how extensiv
this Jurisdiction may become, am
how big factor it may prove Fl
cutting down the high death rat
among the miners OF this country.
Three islands OF Chesapeake bay
one of them containing a prosperou
little community
Disappearing the second OF fey
Islands. families. and tn
third already Dc
serted, are rapidly disappearing int
the waters OF the bay, according I
experts OF the United States geelea
ical survey who have Just completes