The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-03
REDUCE DEATH RATE
7 METAL AND COAL MINES
M HOLMES, OF MINING BUREAU,
URGES GREATER EFFORT
TO SAVE LIFE.

That peaceful industry has Its hor-
rors as we'll as war is shown in the
casualty list of American mines and
oparries for 1918, issued today by the
United states bureau of mines. This
ust gives 1861 men killed in the year.
THE number of men injured was not
tahulated, but it is estimated that it
reached 100000.
Altogether in the coal mines, metal
mines and quarries LOAF ,010 men were
employed, and the date rate for each
1000 men engaged was 3.49, or nearly
three and one-half men.
DIR. Joseph A. Holmes. director of
the bureau of mines, comes forward
with the statement that, taking the
hazards of the industry into consider
alton. this list of death and injury is
excessive and unnecessary, and dis
credit to the industry and the coun-
try.
A Discreditable Record.
Commenting on the deaths in the
mines, Dr. Holmes said: 1--WE stand
aghast at the slaughter in Europe as
reports reach US concerning the ter
rible war that is raging, and we pride
ourselves on our freedom from war
through the adaptation of higher ideals
and standards. Yet to me this report
on the death in one year of 1861 men
engaged in a peaceful industry is
quite as discreditable. And when we
consider that this record is being re-
peated 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 hu-
man lives and have incapacitated tenn
porarly probably a quarter of mill
lion men. And the saddest part of ii
all is that a great part of this death
roll and a still greater part of the in
juries are not necessary. / believe
am conservative when I say that halt
of the 1851 men killed in the year 1918
might have been saved and three
fourths of the 100000 men injured in
the same year might have escaped in
jury had all the various agencies in
volved, the operators, the miners, and
the state and national governments
done its full duty. For the bureau OF
mines, as representing the federal gov
eminent, l can sa What, owing to a
lack of adequate funds, this bureau
has fallen short of doing it's full part
in this great safety movement; and
therefore hesitate to criticise the
seeming shortcomings of any othel
agency.
Death Rate Higher Than in Europe.
TT is not to the credit of the United
States that the very European coun
tries embroiled in. the greatest confic
of the ages kill in their mining indus
tries but one-half or even one-thirc
of the number of men we kill. / refe
to the number killed for every 100
employed, which is a fair basis 70
comparison. According to the lates
foreign statistics, Belgium killed
man in every 1000; Great Britain an
France Y men; and Germany ~
men; as compared with the America
death rate Of 3D..
with such a grewsome record a
has the United States in its mining In
dustry, 1t is high time something NOR
drastic is done to bring this excessiV
loss of life down to basis that wi
be more favoTably comparable wit
other countries. 1t can be done;
should be done; and I hope that tn
American people will gee that 1t
done.
Urges Increased Effort.
Before the federal government bt
gan its attempts to aid in reducing II
mortality of the mines, the death ra