The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-11-15
WOULD CONTROL
ALL EXPLOSIVES
GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO STOP
DYNAMITE PLOTS.
THROUGH SYSTEM OF LICENSE
Reaches From Manufacturer To User
and All Persons Handling MAJ
teriaI Must Be Held Ac-
countable.

Washington, Nov. 14.--Any person
in the United States found with ex
plosives in his possession after Nov
ember Is, and who does not have q
license issued by the Federal govern
ment showing the purpose for what
the explosives are to be used, will be
at once arrested and fined up to IS,
900 or sent to prison for one year. II
the circumstances warrant, the per
son may be fined $1,000 and in addi
ton given the one year in prison.
New Law Far Reaching.
This is the principal clause in a
war measure passed by the last Con.
gress which is now being put into eff.
feet by the Bureau of Mines, Depart.
ment of the Interior, which bureau
has been charged with it's enforce.
ment. Francis S. Peabody, of Chi.
cago, a well known coal operator ia
miliar with the use of explosives,
large amounts of which are used in
the coal mining industry, has been
appointed by Secretary of the Inter.
ior Lane to act as assistant to the
Director of the Bureau of Mines, Van
Fl. Manning, in the enforcement of
the law Under the law, the Director
of the bureau is empowered to utilize
the services of all United States Off
GERS and all police officers of the
states, including the city police
forces, county sheriffs, deputies, con-
stables, and all officers in any way
charged with police duties. The po-
lice of the cities have already been
organized for this work, headed by a
committee of chiefs of police in the
big cities, of which Major r. w. Pull
man, superintendent of police of
Washington, ID. c., is chairman. The
police are not only to look after the
enforcement of the law, but are also
to make thorough investigations of
all dynamite outrages and fires in
factories and warehouses, and to
make their reports to the Director of
the Bureau of Mines.
Heavy Penalty Attaches.
Persons apprehended in plots to
blow up factories and bridges will be
turned over to the authorities for
prosecution under Federal or state
laws. Most states have specially Sc
we're punishments for these crimes.
New York has an extreme penalty of
twenty-five years Imprisonment for
the placing of dynamite with intent
to blow up property. The penalty
provided in this Federal war meas
ure is merely to cover the illegal pos
session of explosives.
Must Have License.
The law provides that everyone
who handles explosives must have a
license. TIL manufacturer, the inn
porter and the exporter must have
licenses issued by the Bureau of
Mines in Washington. The seller of
explosives and the purchaser of ex-
plosives must also have licenses, these
to be issued generally by county
clerks, or other local officers who are
authorized to administer oaths. There
will be at least one licensing officer
in each county, and more agents will
be designated if the county is suffi-
GENTLY large to warrant it. If a
state has laws providing for system
of licensing persons manufacturing,
storing, selling or using explosives.
the state officials authorized to issue
such state licenses shall be designat-
ed as federal licensing agents: also
city officials qualified to issue city ex-
plosives licenses will be given au'
thority to issue federal licenses. A
federal license will not relieve any
person from securing licenses re-
quired under state laws and local or
dinances.
In each state there will be appoint
ed a state explosives inspector who
will represent the Bureau of Mines in
the administration of the law within
the state.
Only citizens of the United States
or of countries friendly to the United
States and the Allies may so obtain
licenses.
quaTymen and others using large
quantities OF explosives, Whlcn are
handled by employees. may issue ex
plosives to their employees only
through those employees holding Ii
cense, called a foreman's license.
The purchaser of dynamite, in oh
tanning license, must state definite
ly what the explosive is to be uset
for ,and will be held accountable fo
it's use as stated and the return o
any explosives that may be left.
With the strict enforcement of thi
law. the Federal authorities hope Il
prevent explosives falling into tn
hands Of evilly-disposed persons AM
to put stop to all further dynamite
plots.