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NEW MINING LAWS RECOMMENDED
FOR THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA.
Following his recent letter of instructions to
mine officials of the state, the text of which was
published in the COAL TRADE BULLETIN of July 15,
Chief Mine Inspector James W. Paul, of West
Virginia, has drafted a list of new laws which, in
his judgment, are needed. He says:
For the past eight years this department has,
in compliance With law, recommended certain
legislation for the protection of life within the
coal mines of West Virginia, and it has been a
difficult matter to secure their enactment into law.
A number of the following recommendations
have been previously made and bills have been
prepared and introduced into our legislature, but
they have failed of passage, through opposition
from various sources.
During the past four years the district inspectors
and this office have distributed among
the mine bosses, fire bosses and mine employes
thousands of copies of the mining laws of this
state, hut it is quite evident that they are not
read by many, especially among the mine
bosses. Very few of the other employes read
the law, and a vast number of foreigners cannot
read the law as printed in English.
A better observance of the law could be had if
those in charge of mines were required to have a
full knowledge of the law, and if they were accountable
for a noncompliance of or permitting
other employes to engage in practices which are
in violation of law.
It is believed that a provision requiring the
mining bosses and fire bosses to see that the
employes are not permitted to violate the law,
would result in mujch benefit. The followingrecommendations
are made:
1. Mining bosses and fire bosses should be
required to have a state license, issued by the
department of mines, to entitle them to act in
their respective capacities. For violations of
law or practices permitted by said bosses their
license sould be revoked or suspended by order
of the district mine inspector, subject, however,
to review of facts before some tribunal, such as
the Judge of the circuit court.
2. All dry, dusty mines, whether they give
off explosive gas or not, should have all dust
removed and the mine sprayed with water,
when in the judgment of the mine inspector it
is necessary. (This has been previously recommended.)
3. The quantity of powder contained in any
one receptacle or package permitted to be taken
into any mine should be established by law.
(Previously recommended.)
4. The quality of explosives used in gaseous
or dusty mines should be specified under "per­
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 33
missible" explosives,- and should be as near
flameless as possible.
5. When dynamite is used within a dry and
dusty mine the roof, sides and bottom of the
mine should be sprayed with water for ten feet
from the point at which the explosive is used.
6. In dry, dusty and gaseous mines, where
mining machines are used, the cuttings should
be loaded and taken out of the mine.
7. The mining boss or fire boss should be rerequired
to take regularly measurements of the
volume of air circulating within tne mine and
make a permanent record of such. (A bill of
this nature has twice passed the senate of our
legislature.)
8. Where gas is found within a mine a recording
pressure gauge should be attached to
the fan casing and daily records kept and preserved,
and the fire boss should be required to
record daily, in a special book, the presence of
any gas found. (Previously recommended.)
9. Requiring at all dry and gaseous mines the
use of an hygrometer, to be used within the mines
and a permanent record kept of the humidity of
the air within the mines.
10. Requiring masonry stoppings to be placed
along the main and return airways within the
mines producing explosive gas. (Previously
incorporated in a bill submitted to the legislature.)
11. The creating of two additional mining
districts within the state, making in all nine
mining districts. (Previously recommended.)
The enactment into law of the above need not
disturb the present statutes, which are good in
so far as they go, and the writer firmly believes
that the adoption of the above recommendations
would increase the efficiency of the mine foreman
and decrease the mine disasters within the
state, and at the same time work no hardship
upon any of the interests affected.
Baltimore Coal Exchange Incorporated.
The Baltimore Coal Exchange was incorporated
recently by Bushrod M. Watts, Henry C. McComas,
Edwin S. Brady, Edward Stabler, Jr.. William J.
Chapman and Arthur E. Poultney. The purpose
of the corporation is to maintain a social association
for the benefit of its members. The directors
for the first year are Bushrod M. Watts, J.
Southgate Yeaton, Henry G. Vonheine. Luther F.
Warner, Gustav H. Nachman, Henry H. Head,
William T. Conn, John T. Fahey, J. Edward
Waesche, David L. Harrison, Julius Hellweg and
Joseph Benjamin.
N. F. Kimball has sold his fuel business at
Weiser, Ida., to A. A. Record.