Year: 1877

Though this description of the mode
of mining here is much longer than l
could wish, yet | trust it will be found
instructive, and perhaps interesting
to those not familiar with this branch
of industry,


In regard to the duties imposed up
on Inc by the act Of 1876, chapter
l73, section 5, amongst others is that
of suggesting what shall seem to me
to be important as to future legisla-
ton in regard to the objects sought to
be attained by this act. 1t has been
repeatedly represented to me in my
visits to the various mines, that the
weighing at the mouth of the mine of
the coal mined before the same is
dumped into the coal hoppers and the
procuring of proper scales for that
purpose by the companies, would
give general satisfaction to the miners,
and remove one Of the chief causes of
complaint, besides doing justice as
well to the employers as to the en-
ployees in the accuracy of the ac-
count of the amount of coal mined BY
each individual miner. Whilst | have
no intention of here casting any re-
Election upon the companies or any of
them, in the matter of having the coal
so weighed, (and know of no cause
for so doing) yet it seems to me to
be but just and fair dealing that the
miner should be satisfied that he is
paid for all the coal he mines, and
that the companies and operators
should pay for no more than each
miner is entitled to receive payment
for.


A satisfactory adjustment of this
matter would remove all cause of
complaint and dissisfaction as to
quantity mined by each miner, and
assure him of the correctness of the
credit given him therefor. And l
therefore suggest that the Legislature
adopt some fair and satisfactory mode
of remedying the evil, if such there
be, thus complained of.


Permit me to call your attention,
also, to the penalties imposed by this
act for neglect of duty of owners, Off
GERS and proprietors Of coal mines, as
stated in section II of said act |
would respectfully suggest, that in
stead Of as now provided for, penal
ty for such neglect be imposed for
each day that such neglect or refusal
continues


The benefcent provisions of this
act could be set at naught and frus-
trated by any company or operator
that thought proper TO disregard, for
at least a whole season, the law as it
now stands, and when indicted and
convicted Of such neglect, might deem
it economy to incur the payment of a
single fine therein provided for, rath-
er than the trouble and expense of
complying with the requirements of
the act; whilst the miner, for whose
benefit, protection and health this act
was mainly passed, would fail to reap
the advantage Of the humane provi-
sions, and many valuable lives per
haps be thus sacrificed by the neglect
to supply props and other timber
necessary for securing the roofs, or
top coal of the different mines.


l have found it incumbent on me,
in the discharge Of my sworn duty as
Mine Inspector, to report to the
States Attorney for said Allegany
county, where they occurred, the in
fraction Of this law by two of our coal
companies, in order that he too might
discharge his duty in the premises.


CONCLUSION.


In closing this, my first annual re-
port, l beg leave to say that the du-
ties imposed on me by this act have
occupied me constantly during the
year, and that | have endeavored, to
the best of my ability, to discharge
these duties with an eye single to the
welfare Of the large and industrious
class of men for whose protection it
was intended. 1t has been my con-
stant care to ascertain by personal In
spection the condition of each mine as
to its safety, its mode of being worked
and its thorough and proper ventila,
ton To do this it required all my
time and the closest attention that ]
was capable of giving to it. And /
also here record, with pleasure, the
fact that no serious accidents have