Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-03-11
Why The Mining Industry
Has Received Relatively
So Little National Aid

/
Agriculture is much the larger of
the two industries; it embraces a
large number of persons, more widely
distributed, and each acting as an in.
~A4eA. asenl. It's products. SUP.
y4ng the country with food and cloth
1g, bring this industry eve en- closer to
the. lives of the people than does, the
mining industry, though the latter sup
plies, with the fuel that cooks their
iood, heats and Hhgts their houses,
operates and supplies large share of
he materials and all the machinery
# their factories, conducts and oper-
ties largely their facilities for trans
'ortation and freight tonnage of the
;ountry. Indeed, the mining industry
in large measure the real basis of
'ur modern civilization and national
Life
A. more than the above, there
81 be some special reason why the
ing industry has received relative,
30 little aid from the national gov.
rnment, and these are to be found
10 doubt, In certain misapprehensions
concerning the industry. Mining is.
usually regarded as an industry com.
pr1s1ng the operation of a few large.
highly profitable properties. 1t ia usn.
ally considered to be an Industry con.
trolled by q few parties, who would
gladly avail themselves of an onnor.
tunity to unload ON the national gov.
eminent the cos tot conducting the 70
searches in which they are particu,ar
y interested. Therefore, it is usually
considered as an industry that should
re allowed, and even requird to take
are OF itself, These assumptions are
ar from correct
r. rs Of Situation. !
me facts Of the situation are:
W These large, highly profitable
7operties are few inrnumber and %
ar as known, their owners have never
olned IN a request for government
appropriation to aid the mining indns
ry, nor have they been given any~spes
alal consideration either In the estab-
llshment.or in the plans Of the Bureau
d Mines. These mine owners. have
neither asked for assistance nor have
they endeavored to unload upon tho
government any inestigation Of their
own. On the contrary, at the request
OF the Bureau of Mines a number Of
them have expended considerable
sumo from their own funds for in.
designations that promise to be usen
not only to them but to other less IL
7ortant mining developments
Which they are and were, in no wa
Interested.
~ Although the number of lsroI
mines is small, there is a large nnn,l
'erof small mines The records show
hat In the country as=a whole there
ire about 10000 coal mines, metal
llnes ana quarr1es, and about 10000
o4 wells that are operating on small.
n or larger scale In addition .+haro
re many plants for treating ore bv
MECHANICAL concentration, smelting or
timer processes and various minera,
Industry plants in different parts Of
l.
he country. Few seem to appreciate
ne Importance Of helping those who
Id these small properties to rull
lethods Of operation. by which tho
'ropert1es can be worked at a profit
instead Of being helplessly transferred
few large corporations which
alone may have the funds for deyelon.
ing the processes that will make pro-
! htazle operation possible.
Employees Ask Aid.
| 90 The most urgent appeal for
larger national aid OF the mining in
. dustry comes. from and on. behalf NJ
he employees Of the different branches
u the industry, who are asking the
I'D Of the government in the develop
nent OF safer and more healthful
vorking conditions. This .humanitar-
IN appeal should be givenibrecedence
yer calls for appropriations to ad-
vance commercial gains 1t. comes
from employees working under hazard
GUS conditions. majority Of whom
are familiar with our language our
laws. or our constitution. These men
have been led to believe that the gov
ernment Of the United States Is inter.
ested in their welfare and has been