THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1924, 6 October 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1874.

I One of the most important measures brought before the Parliament during the late session, is the Act to provide for the Regulation and Inspection of Mines throughout the Colony. The Bill as at first brought in gave rise to considerable discussion, and important modifications were made in it before the Act was moulded into the shape it finally assumed. The Act is to be enforced only in such districts as the Governor may define by proclamation, on the recommendation of the Superintendent of any Province, that it is desirable that a particular Province, or any portion of it, should be brought under the operation of the new law. Provision is made in carefully worded terms for the appointment of one or more Inspectors of Mines, on whom will devolve the proper supervision of the practical working of the Act. In order to secure a3 much as possible the independence and impartiality of these Inspectors, no person who is in any way connected with any mine shall be appointed to the office, neither may the Inspector practise as a land agent or as a ? manager, viewer, or mining engineer, or as a valuator or arbitrator in a dispute between owners of mines. There are general rules laid down which muse be observed as far as practicable in every mine, that is to say — an adequate amount of ventilation must be constantly produced to ensure safer and better working. Gunpowder, or other explosive or inflammable substances, must not be stored underground in greater quantity than what will be required for use during three working days. It must be kept iv canisters containing not more than four pounds, if the explosive be gunpowder, and if of any other material, the explosive force of the quantity must not exceed that of four pounds of gunpowder. Only one of these packages must be in use at one time, and in charging hole 3 for blasting, an iron or steel pricker must not be used, or even be in the possession of any person underground. Further, no iron or steel tamping-rod may be used for ramming the wadding of a charge, and if a charge should miss fire it mast not be unramroed. This latter direction is important, because most of the accidents constantly taking place through the ignorant or careless use of powder and other explosives in mines, can be traced to the want of some injunction, such as the foregoing, in regulating the use of blasting tools. A proper code of signals must bo made use of to prevent collisions in underground places, and manholes and places of refuge must be provided and always kept accessible. Shafts, drives, and other excavations must be secured and made safe for the persons working therein. Shafts, if used for the raising of material, and for the ascent and descent of workmen, must be centred or divided, and the portion used by the men must be securly fenced off from the part containing the winding gear. In shafts over fifty yards in depth, arrangements must be made for communicating proper and definate signals either from the bottom to the top, or from any drive between the bottom and the surface. A sufficient cover overhead shall be used when lowering or raising persons in every working, and where no lifting gear is fitted proper ladders or footways must be provided. The drum of every machine must be fitted with flanges or horns to prevent the winding rope slipping, and single linked chains must not be used to lower or raise persons in any working shaft, except it be a short coupling chain attached to the cage or load. Breaks and indicators, in addition to marks on the lifting ropes, must be ussd to show the position oi the weight in the shaft at any time during the lift. Ladders, fixed permanently in shafts, must have, a secure landing every forty feet, and the ladder must not be fixed in a vertical or overhanging position, except in shafts used exclusively for pumping. A proper dressing-room, exclusive of any space in the engine-room or boiler-house, must be provided for all miners when the number of workmen employed exceeds twelve. No person under eighteen years of age shall have charge of the machinery, and the person in charge must not, under any pretext whatever, unless relieved by a competent person, absent himself from the maehinery,or cease to have continual supervision of it during working hours, and no person shall have charge of machinery for a longer period than eight hours in one shift. Fly-wheels and all exposed or dangerous parts of machinery must be securely fenced, and boilers must be provided with proper steam and water guages, and once in every six months every boiler must be subjected to a hydraulic test. Penalties are provided for wilfully damaging any fence, signalling apparatus, or gear, &c, and boring rods must be kept in readiness to teßt the ground when it is supposed the workmen are approaching a place... where, there are dangerous accumulations of water, and no drive must be made within v dangerous distance of any such suspected accumulation. The Mining Manager must carefully make an inspection once

every week of all buildings, workings, and nuvchiuery connected with the mine, and record the results of his observation in a book to be kept for the purpose, and his recommendation a3 to any repairs or alterations needed must be carefully recorded in the log-book. The fourth section refers to the employment of women, young persons, and children in mines. Boys under thirteen years of age may not be employed underground in mines on any pretence, and youths under the age of sixteen must not fee kept below ground longer than fortyfour hours in any one week, or more than eight hours in one day, and with respect to the employment of women and children above ground the following regulations must be observed : — Children under ten years must not be employed at all, and women, or " young persons," by which are meant females between the ages of thirteen and nineteen years, may not be employed between the hours of seven at night and six on the following morning, or on Sunday, or after two o'clock on Saturday afternoon: Every child over ten years of age employed at a mine must attend school for at least twenty hours every two weeks, and a certificate to this effect must be procured by the employer from the teacher of the school the child attends. Any person forging such a certificate subjects himself to a penalty of three months' imprisonment with hard labor, and parents, guardians, or employees wilfully failing to act in t conformity with the educational section may be fined £5 for each offence. Exceptions to the clause, are made on account of sickness of the child, or when the school is closed, or when there is no school within two miles of the child's residence. We reserve dealing with the portions of the Act specially affecting coal mining, and the duties of the Inspectors as well as the clauses relating to the general management of mines for a_f uture occasion.