Accidents in Mines.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3211, 4 June 1879, Page 2

Accidents in Mines.

Says, the, Australasian ,of date May 24th:—" The repdrt of the chief inspector of mines (Mr Couchman) on theworking of the statutes for the regulation of mines is a very satisfactory document. It is doubtless true that much remains to be yd#ne /ftowards 7 to, the; lowest possible limitjthei inevitable liability to accident in what must always be a very dangerous; calling. But it,is well to note how.much in-the five years during which ::'these- laws; ihave ; been ;%.; existence ' n has -been:- done in this ; direction. The] '■■'•year 1874 was that in which a statute for ' i'""regulating tho ; working of mines first "^came intoiope'rationV and then'thenumber 'pfaccidents'was-29'6, the number of killed those injured 245. Last year there were onlyl2l accidents, 40 killed, and 106 .injured. Even allowing for the reduction of the total number of miners j thathas taken place in that time, the result is still; very;remarkable. It is f 'showii;by,the statement that the proppr- ; tionate number of; persons killed of those .(employed in the mines has been, reduced J fromJT93 to 1.075 per thousand* and the •?number injured from 5.26 t0(2.85 per -thousand. This represents-a saying of : 32 human lives in the year, and of 90 , serious accidents,, Amid the mass o f legislation which we usually pass for purposes of partyr or jobbery, or class warfare, it is pleasant to note the operation of this statute, which had no other end than the- reduction of -human; suffer- - jug and loss of life, and has succeeded h in so gratifying a degree in effecting this ■ object. '■; '■"'''■' j' - 'f; - •'.-■•■ - ''-.- '- '■ i