i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

42 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
"of the legislature and the manner in which the
protests were received by them indicated plainly
that if put to a vote the measure could not pass.
This and the overwhelming weight of the opposition
from all quarters was so evident that the
side-tracking of the bill in committee was announced
two days later.
PROPOSED MINE LEGISLATION.
A bill introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature
by Representative Thompson of Fayette,
would amend the act relating to bituminous coal
mines by providing that in non-gaseous mines the
minimum quantity of air in circulation shall not
be less than 200 cubic feet per minute for every
person employed, but in mines where fire damp has
been detected the minimum shall not be less than
three cubic feet per minute and as much more in
either case as one or more of the mine inspectors
may deem requisite. It shall be the duty of mine
inspectors to prosecute all persons who persistently
violate the law.
Another bituminous mine bill introduced by Mr.
Thompson would amend the act of 1893 compelling
the mine foreman or his assistants to make
a careful examination each day between the
hours of 7 in the morning and 5 in the evening
of all working places and traveling roads to see
that the roof and sides are properly supported
by timber or other material, so that they shall
be in safe condition for men to work or travel
therein. Reports of all such examinations shall
be recorded in a book, kept at the mine office,
the mine inspector being charged with seeing that
their requirements are observed.
Another measure has been presented, providing
for a compulsory eight-hour working day for
miners throughout the state. There are some
seven or eight measures looking to the same end
now in committee.
THE INDIANA SITUATION.
The situation in the Indiana coal fields is steadily
growing worse. Despite the fact that every
ordinary means to improve trade conditions is
being utilized, the business during March has
been poorer than it should be during midsummer.
At no time in the history of the local trade has
business been so poor as at present and the outlook
for relief is not favorable. Although the
winter has been severe, and the demand for coal
ought to have been large, most mines in the Indiana
field have worked irregularly, while recently
a number of large mines have closed down for an
indefinite period. The worst condition prevailed
in the block coal field, in Clay county, where fully
1,000 miners are without work. At Diamond.
Perth, Coal Bluff and other mining towns there is
real distress; miners there have had only irregular
work through the winter, so that when the mines
closed they were absolutely without resources,
and many of them were in debt. These conditions
are attributed in part to over-production, resulting
from the opening of many new mines during
the past two years. At the same time, there
is reported an actual falling off in the demand for
coal from mills and factories. It was expected
that the many factories, which started up in the
gas belt, would become consumers oi coal, owing
to the gradual exhaustion of the gas supplies, but
so far the mills thus affected seem to have closed
down altogether, and have not helped the demand
for coal.
RIVER IMPROVEMENT WORK
WILL BE COMMENCED SOON.
With the advent of favorable weather conditions
the work of completing improvements on
the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers now
under way, entering upon the construction of new
dams, etc., and surveying the Ohio river for both
a six and nine-foot stage from Pittsburgh to
Cairo, will be taken up by the Pittsburgh office of
government engineers. The signing of the rivers
and harbors bill by the president, carrying with
it over $2,000,000 for local rivers, was the signal
for active preliminary work to be taken up. Specications
have been prepared for the river dams,
now under way and for new ones, and have been
forwarded to the secretary of war, under whose
jurisdiction all contracts will be let. The preliminary
work has advanced so far that immediately
following the placing of contracts, construction
work will be started. The improvements
in the Pittsburgh district provided for hy
the bill are as follows: For the construction of
a dam at Herrs Island, Allegheny river, $281,-
226.63; for the construction of dam No. 3 in the
Monongahela river, $389,196; for completing dams
Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 and changing dam No. 6 to provide
for a 9-foot stage in the Ohio river, $1,281,-
376; for surveying the Ohio river for a depth of
6 or 9 feet, $500,000. The amount appropriated
makes sure a depth of 9 feet to Beaver and will
enable reliable data to be gathered as to the cost
of a 6 or 9 foot stage the full length of the Ohio
river.
The Kentucky railroad commission has ordered
a reduction of about 30 per cent, in the coal rate
on the Big Sandy division of the Chesapeake &
Ohio railroad, and a similar cut in the coal and
general freight rates on the Paintsville division of
the same railroad.