The diamond drill., 1918-03-16
(From The Reporter)

In the interest OF fairplay The Re-
porter desires TO take exceptions to
the above criticisms. We believe that
our friends intentions may have been
all right, bue he has certainly shot
wide OF the mark and does not make
himself definite enough as to just
where the criticism should be placed.
or in fact proven, whether any man or
men should be held responsible for the
awful catastrophe at the Amasa-Por-
ter mine We do not intend TO shield
any man or men, If through any act Of
carelessness on their part, they are
responsible for the death of the men
who are now entombed in that mine
and will remain there for some weeks,
but neither do we believe that our
friend should, without knowing posi-
lively that he is right, condemn any
man as incompetent or negligent in
the performance of his duty, or that
he Is the tool OF any man or set of
men. We have 1t from the very best
authority that the government in
spector, who was with the mine rescue
car at the mine soon after the acci-
dent happened, says that the accident
was one OF those that could not have
been forseen and was liable to have
happened at any time without anyone
being TO blame.
Our friend further intimates that
the election OF Capt. Mitchell as mine
trigue and favoritism, and that the
day is passing when II behooves
those at the helm to read the writing
on the wall" Now, we hardly know
for the life OF us what he really means
by this statement, unless II Is that he
is endeavoring to convey the idea
that Capt. Mitchell owes his election
to the mining corporations and that
in return for that election he was to
be mine inspector in name only; and
that the corporations were TO run
their mines as they saw flt, regardless
of the safety OF their men,
We don't believe in any such bun
combe and we don't care who knows
it, in fact we know that Capt. Mitch
ell does not owe his election to the
mining companies but to the people
direct, and our friend ought to know
that fact. We further know that the
men who control and manage the min
ing companies, while they may not be
angels and have wings. but very few
1 Of us can be classed I'm that angelic
band, are men who are doing every
thing In their power TO provide for the
safety and comfort OF their men.
| spending thousands OF dollars for
safety appliances and have men I'm
their employ who do nothing else but
look after the safety OF the men. In
fact two or three years ago we heard
one OF the leading mine superinten-
dents OF this county say to the chair
man OF his safety committee that It
was up to him 10 see that the orders
he gave to the captains and shift
bosses, to provide safety and protec-
tion for the men who were employed
by that company, were carried out 10
the very letter and II they were not %
report the men who failed TO carry
out these orders TO him and he would
see that they were fred-that the lives
OF the men in the employ OF his com
pany should be protected at any cost
II Is utterly impossible for CORPORA
tions to wilfully endanger the lives OF
tho men in their employ and get away
with it-that day has gone by and our
friend ought to know II. Will he
please point out the mine superinten-
dent in this county who will wilfully
and In cold blood place the lives OF the
men In his employ in jeopardy? We
don't believe that he can find such a
superintendent in the county, nor do
We believe that there has ever been
n mine inspector in the county so in
competent that he would not have seen
the danger surrounding tho men at
work in the Amasa-P Porter mine II II
had been possible 10 have seen it
there are impossibilities occurring