The Globe. THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1633, 15 May 1879, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1879.

With the disaster at Kaitangata still fresh in our memories, it must bo of interest to us all to loarn that a Eoyal Commission has been appointed by the British Government to enquire " whether the resources of scionco furnish any practicable expedients that are not now in use, and are calculated to prevent tho occurrence of accidents in mines and mining operations, or to limit their disastrous consequences." Even in the English mining districts, where the greatest share of attention possiblo is given to any details that may render the life of tho miner comparatively safo, it is felt that much remains to be done. The gigantic strides lately made by scionco in every direction havo not been accompaniod by a sufficiently simultaneous advance in tho direction of rendering the condition of those who work underground more endurable. What that condition is was well brought out during a debate last year in the House of Commons. The figures adducod on that occasion were somewhat startling. It appears that since tho year 1851 no fewer than 28,000 lives havo been lost in English mines alone, that is at tho rate of about 1000 a year. There is an improvement, certainly, since tho former date in the proportion of lives lost to tho coal raised. That small comfort may be taken to heart and mado the most of. In 1850, when the annual output of coal in England was only 50 million tons, about 1000 lives a year were lost. In 1877, when the output had increased to nearly 134 million tons, tho livos lost were about 1200. So that tho average of lives lost has considerably decreased. But tho tally of deaths is still an awful one to contemplate. It means that England every year loses by. violent deaths in mining twice tho number of men that she lost at Isandula. And, as an English journal points out, it means more than this. Tho proportion of married men among miners is far larger than among soldiers. Thoso mining disasters moan, therefore, that a far larger number of widows and families are thrown destitute on the world than would be tho case had tho same numbor of men been killed in action with an enemy. And there is even another point to take into consideration. Tho unnatural conditions of life forced on miners must, in the long run, result in enfeebling their constitutions and shortening their lives. To sum up tho result of the last that 28,000 nion have been killed, an unknown number wounded and maimod, a very largo number of widows and children thrown on tho country for support, and tho whole population of certain districts injured more or loss in its health and physioue. All this has boon tho natural Outcome oi tho conditions under which miners are forced to seek the minerals which help to build up our civilisation. They are tho silent martyrs who too often lay down their lives to assist their country in raising itself in the scale of nations. " Science alone befriends them, and to science must be relegated the care of seeing that tho fate of the ' minor is not, during the next twenty years, so sad as it has boen since 1851. And much is to fee hoped from late inventions. If the electric light is good for half tho purposes now claimed for it, it ought to produce a harmless and powerful illumination in mines, and all dangers from firedamp explosions will cease. "Ventilation must bo improved, and as mochaicnal contrivances applicable to mining are brought into play, tho miserable alleys into which the minors havo to twist thomsolvos may bo turned into passages whore a man can givo freer play to his musclos. Much may bo hoped from tho new commission. Professor Tyndall and other eminently scientific and practical men are on it. It will bo well for the New Zealand Government to keep themselves informed as to the results of its labours. Tho mining laws in this colony are at present only in their infancy, and tho question of their improvement will bo one of those to bo considered at tho next session of ment. Tho commission wo have referred to may by its labours throw inuch valuable information into the hands of any

body of men whom the colony may entrust with the task of alleviating the condition of onr mining community.