The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-08
,ItnportanceI Of Foreman Point.
sd8 0ltstn Address by
1 Trade Editor.

ell.if4 II - y ssSS-S 9essstsSN -u
: 1850.
Il
Several Interesting papers were
read 81 the sessions Of the West
Ntrgtnta Coal Mining Institute
this week IN Huntington. One Of
these was BY Robert .. Virgin.
editor % the Coal Trade Bulletin.
Ptttspurgh. His paper was entitt-
ed Tine Mine Foreman. the Key
Nan m the Coal Industry
The spapef was as follows:
Tine bituminous coal Industry
IN the United States has functions
Cd fairly well for many years til=
~ latelys When the government
decided 70 make an entry into the
business IN 1916 It marked the
aceeleratip1 Of troubles both IA
Naming and marketing OF bitumi-
inoiIs coal
NOW comes the proyerbtal
atestton1atre recurring yolum!-
notis answers, This ts another adj
ID eNpense 70 the cost Of produc-
ing coaL Ways and means must lle
discovered or worked out, to pre-
vent Q further rise In cost OF pro-
duetlo1s u the en- glneers and up
per Officials Of the company, Us
wise the cessary and logical SO
lud1f OF this rising cost problem,
sit INN deyolyes upon the mine
foreman 70 carry them out.
Title toretnan's Interpretation
u these solutions, may or may net
be In accord with the views "
|).le Rpper officials. He carries
asl out as he secs fit, regardless
Iof diplomacy or caution. IT Is only
Iihuman that he should take this
attitude. at times he reflects h!s
OWE wishes lntthe matter, probab-
" rather more than those OF his
employer. THIS IL due In q mta-
sure to lack Of training,
Mine Organization
I'm the management and opera
ftAn Ola coal mine, there must Of
necessity be an ORGANIZATION. THIS
organization may consist of few
persons or many persons, deoend-
ing upon the qualifications of the
works and the number Of men etu-
pioyed. Added to this organization
but often not included, are ti;s
men who ore usually known as
Straw bodies" They are men
who carry out the instructions OF
tie different foretien, but who
have no authority.
THE firebosses. assistant fore
men, etc; all work under the sup-
eryision of the mine foreman, 1t
the mine Il large 1t is readily
seen the foreman is not able to
give personal attention TO every
&stail IN the mine. He directs Ills
= 4utenantss to act for him.
This delegated power is like
adding another link to the chain.
"1thas a tendency to weaken
the objective, If any weakness
shows up, the mine foreman Is
the one man who is held response
bic He Is. the key man in any
mine organization. His efforts
both directly and indirectly are in
a rneasuJ d responsible for the sue
cess or failure OF the company.
1.-THE mine foreman's etferts can
not always be measured In a IL
nancial way, but accidents from:
lac yof forethought or Judgment
are surely expensive. In the recent
expiosidon at Spangler. Pa. 1t ts
gaId the compensation paid to
beneficiaries amounted to over
s100.Q00.00, and that the cost 1t
the explosion at Dolomite mine
In Alabama was nearly $500, 000.-
90
~ 1t must not be inferred from
this that these accidents were the
result ofiinetficlent mine toremen,
but this information Is here given
to show the large items that SO
TO make up the cost Of operating
mines. and with which the mite
foreman has q great deal toido,
Who Is Mine Foreman
Usually the states mine laws
reanlre that when the mine en-
piosss certain number OF men,
SAY ten perhaps twenty, in arg
period OF twenty-four hours, a
] competed I overaeer shall be en-
ployed 7, who shall have the title Of
iln6 foreman,
In addition to possessing the
legal qualifications, he must be q
man of many accomplishments.
.SThe mine foreman, ID the owners
representative In the mine. He
acts as the conpany's agent In ali
matters 1t issue, within the mine