Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1913-1914, 1914-12-10
PEACEFUL INDUSTRY
HAS IT'S HORRORS

=
rors as well as war is shown in the
casualty list of American mines and
quarries for 1913, issued by the Unit
ed States Bureau of Mines. This list
gives 3,65l men killed in the year.
The number Of men injured was not
tabulated, but it is estimated that it
reached 100000.
Altogether in the coal mines, metal
mines and quarries l,047 ,910 men en-
ployed, and the death rate for each
] 600 men engaged was $40, or nearly
three and one-ha1f men.
DR.. Joseph A. Holmes, director Of
the Bureau OF Mines, comes forward
with the statement that, taking the
hazards of the industry into consid-
Grafton, this list of death and injury
is excessive and unnecessary, and a
discredit to the industry Of the
country.
Commenting on the deaths in the
mines, Dir. Holmes said: we stand
aghast at the slaughter in Europe as
reports reach lis 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
3,65l men engaged in a peaceful I'M
dustry is quite as discreditable. And
when we consider 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 l0,487 hui
man lives and have incapacitated tenn
porarily probably a quarter of a mill
lion men. And the saddest part Of
it all is that great part of this
death roll and still greater part Of
the injuries are not necessary. /
believe l am conservative when
say that half of the 3,651 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 injury had all the var
ious agencies involved, the operators.
the miners, and the state and national
governments done their full duty in
the matter. Perhaps no one of these
agencies has done its full duty. For
the Bureau of Mines, as representing
the federal government, I can say that
owing to lack of adequate funds, this
bureau has fallen short of doing its
full part in this great safety move
ment; and therefore hesitate to crit
icise the seeming shortcomings of any
other agency.
1t is not to the credit of the United
States that the very European coun.
tries embroiled in the greatest con-
flict of the ages kill in their mining
industries 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 fair basis
for comparison. According to the
latest foreign 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 its mining
industry, it is high time something
more drastic is done to bring this ex-
cessive loss Of life down to basi.
that will be more favorably compar-
able with other countries. 1t can be
done; it should be done; and | hope
that the American people will see that
it is done.
Before the federal government be-
gan its attempts to aid in reducing
the mortality OF the mines. the death
rate was steadily increasing; and al
though every year our coal mines
grow deeper and more hazardous, as
with increasing depth the explosive
gases increase, this increase in fatal
tiles has fortunately been stopped and
the rate is now being slightly reduced.
But this is only a beginning Of what
] hope viii soon be a much greater
Improvement What we really aim to
do is to aid in saving the lives Of at
least two men in every 1000. Of the
three and one-half men per 1000 now
killed in our mining operations. In
an industrial army Of over million
men working underground. that will
mean a yearly saving Of more than
1000 lives; and ia the combined min
ing and mineral industries, employing
two and one-third million men, I hope