The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-03-30
Comment On
World Events

A report made public by Secre'
tary of the Interior Oscar l.. Chap
man contains the encouraging news
that Germany's coal industry in the
Ruhr Valley has largely recovered
from the damages Of World Wal
Ill and is again capable of contri-
buting heavily to the economic re-
covery of Germany and Westerr
Europe. Anything that aids recov-
cry in Europe and so hastens the
| end of Marshall Plan aid is good
news for American taxpayers, OF
course.
The principal German coal-pro-
ducing areas, the Ruhr and Aacher
districts, are in the British occupa-
tion zone, but the mines there are
under joint British-American sup
eryision. AS part of program for
|rehabilitating the German Goa
mining industry, the U. S. Bureau
of Mines, at the request of the oc-
|cupying authorities, assigned 8 en-
gineers, J. B. Benson, H. E. San
ford, and r. w. Stahl, to investi-
gate hazards incident to coal min
ling. Their report, presenting COM
plete survey of conditions and prac-
tees in the Ruhr area, has just
been released.
Despite the heavy drain of two
world wars, Germany's active coal
beds are far from exhausted, and
the coal mining industry has a
long future life, the report says.
Preparation plants are generally
efficient and compare favorably
with similar American installa-
tions. Many of the surface plants
which were severely damaged dur
ing the war have been repaired and
are in operation.
Germany's coal mines are deep
er and hotter than those in this
country, and many of them lie un-
der heavily populated areas. They
are often steeply pitching, and
some are extremely gassy. How
ever, roof-control practices are
good with long-wall mining, and
ventilation systems are efficient.
Backfilling is practiced to min
imize surface subsistence.
Mining operations and the pres
sure of everything strata produce
dusty conditions in most Ruhr
mines, but generalized rock dust
ing is not practiced, and Every
little effort" is made to control
dust at it's sources, the publication
states. However, it notes that many
rock dust barriers are installed in
haulageways and air courses. Be-
cause rock drillers and workmen
engaged in backfilling do not use
respirators, a great many German
miners contract silicosis.
:. :. :.
In describing certain progressive
features of German coal mining,
the report cites excellent under
ground fire-fighting facilities, a.
legal and rigidly-enforced ban on
underground, a coal-mine
system, insurance and
benefits, well-equip-
ped mine-rescue stations and train
ed mine-rescue teams, and highlyl
effective apprentice c e-trainingl
schools. Boys enter these schools
at Ia for 4-year course, the first
2 years on the surface and the last
2 underground. Although accident
rates are high in German mines,
statistics show that graduates of
these schools have better safety re-
cords than other workmen and are
more efficient.
Coal m liners are respected
throughout western Germany, and
hey are better paid than most
)ther workmen, but absenteeisml
md labor turnover are still high,
he report notes. 1t also discussest
such topics as transportation, cleo
.rical installations, underground
mining methods, efficiency and cost
If production.