The Connecticut labor news., 1924-01-05
To End Mine Disasters

uulliS lhC past veal, WILL l1C dCllVf
 cooperation of the press, and aftel
 consultation with mine operators ane
 engineers, representatives of the min
 CTS organizations, state and fedora
 mine inspectors, and an examination
 of published records"
 The program, as outlined by Dr Andrews, includes:
 I. The adoption of uniform lega
 minimum standards of safety;
 ?. The use underground of no ex plosive that is not after scientific in vestigation numbered among the "per- missibles"; the prohibition of "shoot ing off the solid"; and the use of shale or approved rock dust to check the spread of coal dust explosions;
 3. Reward careful employers and penalize the less scrupulous, by the universal adoption of schedule rating for insurance under accident compen- sation laws, with a further graduated penalty for cases of wilful failure to put into effect legal safety regula- tions;
 4. An adequate mine inspection staff selected upon merit basis of training and experience, fairly paid, for reas- onbly long tenure of office and pro- tected from partisan interference whether political or industrial;
 5. Greater public authority, federal and state, to procure and disseminate and to establish and maintain on a uniform basis reason able minimum standards of safety.
 Now comes the report to the United States Coal Commission of the mine engineers, statisticians, econom- ists and insurance experts, which supports the associations s program of prevention" he said Every day that needless coal mine delay the removal of needless eccident hazards in their in dustry, strengthens the argument for the adoption of uniform regulation. some conscientious em- ployers have made progress i'll mine accident prevention and 1t IS only reasonable and fair that they be pro tected from the undercutting of any who have been less hu- mane, less responsive, or less scrup- ulous."
 Miners Demand New Department.
 MT. Bittner said the miners demand a Federal Department of Mines with a secretary in the Presidents cabinet whose duty 1t will be to safeguard the lives of the miners and conserve the nations fuel resources.
 Accidents in the coal mines of the United States which are more disas- trous than in other countries" he said, "are the toll we pay for our enormous production per day per man when compared with other coun- can be greatly reduced and some of ~atoctroD1ioc onfIra117 e1eminated if the proper safeguards are applied" ..
 Unti Ia department of mines IS es- .ablished, according to MT. Bittner, the present federal bureau of mines must have it's authority extended by Congress to function for peter safe guards. .
 Connected with the proposed De- Dartment of Mines," he declared, i've should have a federal safety council, with the miners, coal operators and department of mines represented. This body should be divided into state and sub-divided into To- ,al units with jurisdiction over each nine. The duties of this organization should be the study of practical safe guards for mining, with authority to compel installation of safeguards in he mines.
 Want Mine Laws Enforced.
 Mir Kennedy made the assertion hat If the coal operators in the an- .hracite region lived up to the mine avs with respect to ventilation 1t will be impossible for gas explosion o occur. When gas explosion oc- ;urs, coal operators, mine inspectors md others have been in the habit of putting the blame for the explosion on the dead employees"
 Strict observation of the mine laws oy the operator, according to MT. Kennedy, would reduce the toll of leath and accidents from explosions o minimum.
 Tt Is interesting to note," he con inued, that within the past few years he installation of electricity in mines explosive gas had caused nore deaths and injuries than has the gnition of gas in the face of the mine. Accidents can and should be reduced | This can be done through the applica- ion of new laws covering modern hazards together with the enforce nent of existing laws, plus the CO., operation of miners, operators, mine and the department of nnleS. In Such cooperation or OnlteQ l Nine Workers will continue to give heir best"
 Mine Accidents Increasing.
 Dr. Meeker quoted figures showing | hat both the fatality rate and the l ,eneral accident rate in the coal mines l # Pennsylvania, the greatest mining tate, have increased in spite of all at empts to reduce accidents"
 Statistics indicate, according to Dr. 1eeker, that the mining industry nj he United States kills miners about
 I-3 times as fast as the same indus !, ry does in Great Britain.
 "The neglect of proper attention to he safety of miners" he declared, "is hown by comparing the mine acci- ents with the accidents in all other industries. In 1920 there were 1,oIo