The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-01-11
Tie; theft CT 0In,dAhIzATIOn
William Banks, Inspector of Exp!os.
ives, Indicates Methods of Guard
ing Explosives.

Columbia.-William Banks, recent
ly appointed explosive inspector for
Soutil Carolina, has issued the follow
ing statement relative to the regula-
tons which are to obtain in this de-
partment of the war work:
The new law for the protection OF
the country in the matter OF eXplos-
ives declares that all persons VINO
handle explosives or the constituent
elements must be licensd. AS tn IL
cense fee is only Csc it is apparent
that this is not revenue law, but
is desired to perfect register OF all
the dealers handling anything which
could be used disastrously against the
government The plan Of safeguard
ing is to have an inspector in each
state, who is to have an advisory coun-
Gil consisting Of persons from the ire
underwriters and such like protective
bodies. In each county there will be
Icensors and the appointees thus far
are the clerks of court. Others will be
named as the demand arises,
Inspectors Confer.
The state inspector for South Caro-
lima has recently been in Washington
at which time there was conference
of all inspectors appointed. This
conference was addressed by Secre-
tary Lane and DR.. Van H. Manning,
who succeeded the lamented Joseph
Holmes of this state as head of the
bureau of mines and mining. The
meeting was presided over by F. S.
Peabody of Chicago, millionaire
miner, who volunteered his services
to the country and will direct this
bureau Of explosives. Among the in
spectors were we'll known miners from
Alaska and other Western States, in
Guiding Idaho, whose former govern
Mr.. Chamberlain took an interesting
part in the meeting. TIE state in
spector for South Carolina has made
no, public announcement, awaiting In
structions from Washington, which
will be received perhaps in the next
few days. There is graf deal more
in this proposition than the public
might infer and experts are at WORK
evolving, regulations. 1t will, there
fore. require time to promulgate the
requirements of the department. The
state inspector for South Carolina
wishes to prepare the public for an
announcement that certain compounds
sold in drug stores will be prescr1b'
ed in the list of combustibles. The
list of these constituent elements has
not been received from Washington,
but will be in a few days. Each drug
store in the state handling sulphuric
acid. nitric acid and such things will
be required to obtain a license there
for from the clerk of court.
another matter to w.ich the state
inspector calls attention is the fact
that all places where explosives or
combustible elements are stored
should be properly guarded. 1t is nec-
essaTy in some cases to have watch
men. in other cases it is necessary
merely to have freproof and burglar
proof receptacles, but in all cases 1t IS
absolutely necessary to place these
elements Of danger out of the reach
of mischieyous maurauders or lnten-
tionally criminal aliens. The state
inspector requests that in case OF
theft of explosives the information be
communicated at once to the nearest
law officers and to his office in Colum-
bia. This information is all OF a gen.
eral nature, but a more specific and
detailed statement will be made as
soon as the instructions are sent from
Washington.