THE MURDER OF MINERS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 31, 6 October 1911, Page 18

THE MURDER OF MINERS.

[APPALLING FIGURES IN BRITAIN

According to the report of the Chief Inspector of Mines for 1910; that year was a record one for fatalities to miners. These are called deaths from accidents. We have no hesitation in giving them the uglier.name of murder. For murder'they are in most cases, the cold-blooded, wanton, doing-to-death of men and boys by the deliberate neglect of reasonable precautions through the insatiate greed for profit of tlie capitalist class. At the mines ■under tlie Coal Mines Act there J. 242 separate fatal accidents, causing 1775 deaths. Compared Avith 1909\ there, was increase of 60 in the number of accidents and of 322 in the nwimber of persons killed. The death rate of the underground Avorkers at these mines was 1.91 per 1000 persons employed a.s against 1.01 in 1909, and /the death rate of the surface Avorkers was .70 per 1000 employed, as against .67 in the previous year. For young

persons emploA r ed underground, the death rate Avas 1.77 per ; 1000, as compared Avith I.49'in. the.'-previous year, and for those on the' surface 1.003-as against .62. . Thus in every direction there was a distinct and serious increase in, the number of deaths. A""' as the inspector says: ''The ratio of deaths per 1000 persone is the proper criterion of comparison to adopt, and ,-Aye have to go back to the year 1890 to find a higher death rate from •all causes underground—viz., ,' 2.09 per 1000. That year, like the year under revieAV, Avas marked by serious colliery explosions, tho comparative death rate from explosions being : 1890, .57 ; 1910, .59 per 1000. Thus the death rstc from explosions ivas higher in 1910 than in the previous worst year on record 20 years earlier. And avo know that some of the Avo.rst explosions of last year might have been prevented by reasonable precautions. One thousand seven hundred arid seA-enty-five colliers killed —murdered —in a single year! The tale of fatalities in the Boer War in three years on the British side amounted to 20,000. Peace hath her victories no less -re.noAvned than Avar; and she has her slaughter also. The collier going to his daily toil runs a risk a third as great as that of a soldier going into battle; and still" there are people ay ho howl Avith indignation at the demand of the collier for a living AVageJ They think he should be satisfied with the wages of sin—death!—" Justice."