Denver labor bulletin., 1916-09-02
BUREAU OF MINES
DOING GREAT WORK
Safety First Is Guiding
Motive of Director
Some Interesting Facts Con-
cerning This Important Aid
to Underground Workers

The United States bureau of mines,
altho primarily an organization dealing
with technical matters, is very close to
the people. 1t has for its principal func-
tion the saving of human life in the
mines, and in the few years OF its exist
ence has made an enviable reputation.
The climax of deaths in the coal mine.
came in the year 1907. The following
year Congress authorized the federal
government to investigate the causes of
mine explosions, and sinca that time
there has been n steady but slow de-
crease in the death rate among the
miners.
The bureau has no legal power to 20
into the various states and compel the
adoption of its recommendations as to
safety. that power being a police power
belonging to the several states The
bureau. therefore. endcavors to foster a
cooperative spirit between the state
mine inspectors. the operators and the
miners, and in this il has been very sue
crs-ful The result is that the year
l7l5 was the safest ever seen in the his
tory Of coal mining in the United States.
Makes Low Death Rate.
The death rate for each LOCO men
employed was the lowest in the las; six
teen year,,
The number Of tons Of coal produced
for each miner killed was the largest In
the entire history Of coal mining in the
United States.
The actual number Of men killed was
the lowest in the last eight years. in
spite of the fact that with 80 year
more men are employed.
There were 10000 men employed in
coal mining in 1915, and Of this num-
her 2.2Ga were killed. which was 100 less
than in 1914 aud 52l less than in 1918
In speaking Of this record made by tn.
bureau Of mines. Van II. Manning. the
director. snid;
This j. the most gratifying report
the bureau Of mines has been able 10
make since II was established. II ind-
Gates very forcibly to me that safety
first has come TO stay in the coal min
ing industry. and that IL il being prac-
ticcd more as-iduously in mining camps
than ever before. Every effort along this
line spell. lives saved. suffering lesscncd
and poverty and want prevented II Is
such a report a. this that leads us to
Translate. as President Wilson did. 'safcy
first into America first for | do be-
in the United States for the welfare and
safety OF the working man than in any
other country in tho world.
1T il especially gratifying that this
movement j. progressing 50 rapidly in an
industry that il one of the greatest in
the world. The United States today
mines 10 per cent of the entire coal Of
the world. as much coal as Great Britain
and Germany combined. and employs an
cycr.increasing army of men that has
now reached beyond the 10000 mark.
safety First" Movement.
1T is difficult TO say what might have
been had the various agencies turnout
the United States not co-operatcd with
the bureau of mines in the safety first
movement All we know is that IL. in.
stead OF decreasing. the death rate had
continued to increase as IL did up to
the year 1907 there would be today sew.
cral thousand more dead miners in the
United States"
The bureau of mines has many other
duties in addition to that Of life saving
in the mines. Quite frequently IL issues
bulletins detailing methods for more cf-
ficient Use of the various fuels, This
bureau was the pioneer in the movement
among manufacturers for the purchase
of coal on specifications that required n
certain number of heat units in the coal
and the limit of the amount of ash and
other impurities. Today the biggest in.
dustral plants of the country, ms well
as the United States government. are
purchasing their Goals on such spccifica-
tons. with the result that manufactur-
crs are getting Goals better suited for
their needs and are paying for what they
get and getting what they pay for.
The bureau has extended its efforts
still further along this line, and issued
a pamphlet to householdcrs telling them
the best way to take care Of their do
nestle furnaces. Several hundred thou.
sands Of these papers have been distrib-
utcd to the people. with consequent bet
ter results from the coal they purchase.
Investigations by Bureau.
The bureau is engaged in an investi-
rntion of various methods whereby the
low grade ores of the West may be
turned into useful commodities. II IL
now investigating what is known as the
flotation process, which promises TO re-
vivc many low grade ore projects in the
West that had already been abandoned.
In its work on radium tho bureau de-
vclopcd process whereby this precious
substance could he made at n cost OF
about $4,000 gram. This is impor-
tnnt in view Of the fact that radium Ia
being successfully used in the treatment
of certain types of cancer II Is espc.
,,,,tr i,unortnnt when IL Ia considered