The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-22
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Director.
Washington. d. c.
WHERE ILLITERACY IS FATAL


guage. In dangerous callings, litter
acy means death.
often it means death to others be-
sides the illiterate- 1t also means in
terruption of industry and discomfort
among workmen. The fact that we
allow men to work at complicated
and dangerous callings, who cannot
understand the directions of their
superiors, nor read the signs on the
wall, is a thing for which we all suffer.
These facts have been brought out
by the study of the bureau of mines.
and are cited as proof of the need for
a national system of Americanization
by the supporters of the Americaniza-
ton bill, now before the senate COM
mittee on education and labor.
This bill appropriates five million
dollars, to be used by the bureau of
education and other government agen-
cies in cooperating with the various
states, to promote the education of
both native and foreign-born Hitter
ates. According to the evidence pre-
scented by the secretary, no industry is
in greater need of the educational ad-
vantages of this measure than the
mining industry
Accidents in American mines have
always been appallingly numerous.
The United States has the highest
death rate from mining among civil
lied nations. This is especially true
of coal mining, altho the American
coal miner gets more coal out of the
ground per day than any other miner
in the world. The United States bu-
reau of mines has made a thoro study
of mining accidents and their cause.
1t has issued many safety regulations.
which have been adopted with good
results by the mining industry, and
many safety appliances have been in
vented by its experts. But the tremen-
deus mining death rate has been only
slightly reduced.
In searching for the cause of acct
dents in American mines, however, the
bureau discovered two Important
disasters were due to carelessness of
such an idiotic nature that it was ex-
plicable only upon the supposition that
the men had misunderstood their
orders. The second was that TIE ma
jorityof the men in the American min
ing industry were of foreign birth. The
significance of the two facts was OBJ
vious.
The number Of foreign-born miners
in the American mining industry-and
especially in the coal mining industry
has been largely a matter of guess
work, bit the consensus of opinion in
the industry is that at least rs per cent
of the $40, 600 coal miners are foreign
ers. most of them ignorant of mining
methods. In recent years, our immi-
grafton has come almost entirely from
agricultural countries. The men have
been peasants, with some knowledge
of farming, but unable to read or write
any language. Take a man of this
type, and place him in highly COM
plicated industry like mining, and ac-
cident is the natural result.
Indeed, the bureau of mines urges
that even the literate miner be given
short scientific course in the ele-
mentS of mining. The mechanic
knowst he mechanical principles with
which he has to deal. Such compre-
hension is part of his training. But
the miner spends his entire day in al,
atmosphere threatened by poisonous
gases, about which he knows moth
ing. The ignorance OF the average
miner-especially the miner of foreign
birth-concerning the elements with
t. lted by an incident which occurred
a few weeks ago. Three men were
standing at the entrance of a mine,
waiting for their shift to be called. A
compressed air tube was lying on the
ground In a playful mood. one OF
them lifted the tube and thrust it into
the mouth of his companion, which
had just opened to receive a bite of
sandwich. Unfortunately the air was
turned on, and every organ in the
mans body was ruptrred. He died
imm ediately-the victim of stupidity,
but excusable stupidity, because the
practical joker had never been taught
the danger of playing with COM
pre- Led air.
Only after years of experience, as a
rule. Goes the miner learn to be eX-
tremely cautious. In the beginning of
their mining careers, even the better
educated Americans and other Eng
disappearing miners are undoubtedly
| reckless. They will expose them
selves to grave ris,-s rather than I'M
dertake a little extra lspor. Props are
instead of closed lamps; cars are
! driven in a careless manner, and ex-
| plosives are often handled recklessly.
| After few years of mining, however,
in which man usually witnesses
many accidents, he accumulates a
| great deal of wisdom. For example,
experienced miner applied for a
| job in a coal mine not long ago, and
| vas Immediately accepted. Shortly
| after he had gone to work, he went
to the mine boss and POINTED out that
| the )of of he chamber in which he
worked was s. need of timberir.g. The
mine boss looked at the roof, and said
| tat he thought it --euld "hold a
:. lille longer" The miner then stated
| that he would have to be transferred
| to another chamber. or he would quiz
+, tn mine. To which, the mine boss
replied that there was no other cham
! Der available and allowed the IAN to
walk out. Half an hour later, a
| foreigner was assigned to his place.
| A great deal of bite rness is felt by
the more experienced miners for the
| i'll: ate i'm grams. nom hey be-
lieve are largely responsible for the
| high mining death rate. In their
pathetic desire to earn money at any
cost. they are willing to work in almost
any place to which they may be as
signed, no matter how dangerous and
unwholesome it may be, and no mat
! ter how defective is their equipment
| = cir one great qualification is then
cheapness. Naturally, this retards the
introduction of better conditions fol
the rest of the miners.
n,o s+o+a off;o;o1 assar.. +bat on no,