Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-06-15
TO ABOLISH CAMPS
State Mine inspectors Would
Do Away with Housing Plans
REPORT ISSUED ON MINING
Claim Present Mining Camps unheal.
thy and Unfit for Habitation-To
Move Families To Towns For
Greater Privileges.

Des Moines.-Abolition of mining
camps in Iowa is recommended by the
state mine inspectors in the annual
report of the state mine department.
The inspectors recommend that the
miners live in established cities and
go to their work on work trains. This
system will do away with the dirty.
unimproved, unhealthy, unsightly and
temporary camps where the miners
cannot have comforts and their chill
dren cannot be properly educated, the
mine inspectors assert.
The report for the state shows that
for every 221,473 tons of coal mined
in 1915, one life was sacrificed. There
were thirty-four fatal accidents in the
Iowa coal mines and two fatal acct
dents in the gypsum mines. There
were 245 non-fatal accidents.
Iowa produced 7,530.0SS tons of coal
In 1915, giving employment to 1850
men. The percentage Of deaths per l.
900 employees was 2.07. In 1914 the
per cent was 81.
In 1914 the mines produced 7.312,734
tons and employed 1910 men. There
were thirty-four fatal accidents.
The number of fatal accidents in
1915 was almost equally divided as to
districts. There were eleven in the
first, twelve In the second and eleven
in the third district.
In attendance at the mining confer
ence were w. e. Holland Of Abba,
Rhys T. Rhys of Ottumwa, Ed Swee-
ney Of Des Moines. and L. e. Stamm,
secretary, of Des Moines.
Monroe county led the state in coal
production last year, with Polk coun.
ty in second place.
There we're 252 mines in operation
in Iowa in 1915. OF this number. 106
were in the first district, 100 in the
second and 46 in the third. Polk coun-
ty is in the third district. The mines
employed 1855 miners. 1881 inside
men, 1.493 outside men, total Of 49,
369.
Millions Spent On Roads.
During 1915 Iowa expended $685.
1854 on bridges and roadways. says the
June bulletin of the state highway de-
partment. For bridges ss.629,252 was
spent; county road system, S3.40S,ooo
and township road system $3,171, 900.
There were 1927 miles OF road build
ed to permanent grades at a cost OF
$61S,13S. There were $3.50 miles
constructed to temporary grades at a
cost of $242,S6s00: 2358.S miles of ma
tural grades at s359,30500; 1872 miles
hard surfaced and 15,4oo miles
dragged.
Need New Place for Insane.
The state board of control is con.
sidering the need of new quarters for
taking care of the criminally insane.
"Iowa has ninety-four insane prison
ers at the Anamosa and Fort Madison
penitentiaries," Chairman Dixon says.
"They are kept between narrow walls
and no provision Is made for giving
them work. What we should have is
a new building and grounds for them
at independence, with provision made
for putting them to work"
The Knoxville inebriate hospital
may be later used for this purpose.
Control Board Meets.
The quarterly conference of the ex-
ecutive officers of state institutions
under the board OF control convened
at the state house. DIR. ]. I. Gibson,
state veterinarian, lectured the execu-
tives in regard to the method of car.
ing for the health of state wards.
Others from various state institu-
tons who spoke were DIR. r. G.. Eaton
of Cherokee, DIR. w. N. Volteng OF
Woodward, George Mogridge of Glen
wood and Miss Mable Bentley Of
Ames.
To Mark Historic Spot.
E. r. Harlan, curator of the histor-
ical department has raised the funds
and made arrangements to mark the
grave of the Indian chief Black Hawk
and the western boundary of the Black
Hawk purchase through Davis, Van
Buren, and Jefferson counties.
Black Hawks grave is near Iowa.
vile. 1t has long been the desire Of the
curator to mark this historic spot. He
succeeded in arousing sufficient inter-
est to make up fund to place an APP
propriate tablet on the grave.
Let Bridge Contract.
The state executive council has let
contract for the construction OF a
concrete bridge over the rounding
street in the south part of the capitol
extension on a bid of S6S,019.
The bridge will be 100 feet wide and
will span the street, which has width
Of 100 feet. 1t will be Of reinforced
concrete, both ends to be faced with
Bedford stone.
Forty-nlne New Lawyers.
Forty-nine new lawyers were auth
orized to hang up their single and
compete for living in Iowa, follow
ing the state bar examination which
was held at the state house. or the
class Of nfty-seven, eight young men
failed to pass.
Miss Bessie Birney Of Mason City,
the only girl in the class, received q
passing grade, but as she will not be
-