The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-09-11
An INTERESTING PUBLICATION

est to the metal-mining districts OF
the United States has Just been issued
by the Bureau or Mines. under the
title, "Rules and Regulations for Metal
Mines" II Is to be known as Bulletin
rs and the authors are w. n. Ingalls,,
J. Parke Charming. James Douglas,
James r. FinIay. and John Hays Ham
mond. The Committee was originally
appointed at meeting OF the Ameri-
can Mining Congress at Denver. Colo
RADIO, in November. 1906, and it's OBJ
ject was the drafting OF modern law
governing quarrying and metallifer-
GUS mining which could be recon-
mended to the several States for
adoption. in the hope that the passage
of such uniform law by the mining
States would tend to lower the number
OF fatal and serious accidents.
When the committee took up its
work. II found that Colorado. Nilsson
ri. Montana and New York were the
only states that had enacted mining
laws of broad scope applicable TO
other than coal mines. California,
Arizona, Idaho. Kansas, Michigan.
Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico,
North Carolina. oregon. South Dako-
Ia. Tennessee. Utah, Washington, and
Wyoming were found to have statutes
pertaining to metalliferous mining
but with few and Incomplete safety
provisions.
This committee OF the American
Mining Congress did considerable
work along this line and made num-
Der OF reports. In April, 1911. DR..
Joseph A. Holmes, Director OF the
Bureau OF Mines. invited the commit
tee to serve as committee OF that
bureau with the idea OF preparing a
final draft OF law and this was ac-
cepted.
Starting with composite of exist
ing laws, the committee by successive
stages endeavored to work out a gen
eral law. that would embody the best
mining thought of the day, be In ac-
cord with approved modern mining
practices. and yet al the same time be
effective and practical in operation,
and not merely collection OF rules
and regulations TO be disregarded or
enforced at will
The committee In discussing It's re-
port says: I'VE have found that a
great deal of interest and attention
among mine operators has been awak-
ened by our advocacy OF improved
means for promoting safety in mining.
However, we are under no Illusion
that our recommendation will be i'm
mediately and generally adopted. We
consider our work TO be especially OF
educational character rather than
anything else. II will be useful in
three main ways, we think. as follows:
Il. AS basis for State legislation
"2. AS basis for private systems OF
inspection.
.. AS a collection OF simple rules
for the guidance OF everybody engaged
in mining.
Since the publication of our first
report several States have adopted
new mining laws and amended their
old ones. In this connection our code
has served some purpose; for example
In the drafting OF the laws that now
stand on the books OF the States OF
Nevada and Arizona. We do not ex.
pect that any State will at once adopt
all OF our recommendations espec.
tally those that are essentially OF
legal character. We offer them a,
what We think ought to be and hon,
some day will be.
Since our first publication. fur
thermore. most OF the mining com
panies OF consequence have adopte,
inspection systems or have AT leas
framed codes OF safety rules. whicl
have been based TO a large extent q,
our code, notably so In the case O
the Cleyeland-Cliffs Iron Co. Thf
tendency, In fact, has become one O
the most important phases In the m
tional movement for Safety First
This is the gratifying consummatiol
that we had In mind. UnquestionabI,
Also the widespread adoption OF Stat
laws providing compensation for In
jnred workmen has helped the safet
movement by making accident proven
ton worth while.
we consider however. that III
chief usefulness OF the code OF rule
that We have formulated will be /
small operators who frequently on
gage In unsafe practices wIthou
knowing that they are unsafe or with
out thinking about the matter at al
4 Il.