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Show Hj . Ity J. E. I'ettlt, State Coal Aline Inspector. H ' When all the reports from individual coal mining companies BH are in, actual figures will show that the year of 1015 was an off KK , year in the coal mining industry in thlsi state. It is my belief that HB the production of the year will not greatly exceed, if at all, that of Hf 1014, which was a dull year. We will do well if we get a showing Du of three million tons. The reasons for this showing, or lack of it, K,( are obvious. During the spring months especially many of the H ) biggest industries of the state, including the Utah copper work- Bm ings, were practically at a standstill. For a good part of the year H business in various lines was curtailed. Railroad business was K slack and railroad business always makus itself felt on mining. j Taking the year as a whole, the coal producers have not worked m half lime. Bjf Prospects for the coming year, however, are much brighter. g Orders already on hand indicate there will bo a good winter's run. Hf Iasl season is early as IJccembor the minus began to run short H time. It suems curtain just now that there will bo no need of cur i tailmcnt, at least before the end of February. 1 believe that the P 1010 output of coal will be more oncouraging than for several years ! Hi As to production of coke, 1015 makus a much bettor showing in HJ comparison with previous years. The year's coke production will i 1 be, perhaps, a hundred to a hundred and fifty thousand tons more H than in 1014. The coke producers have been able to sell and ship mj l all they produced. Utah coke is used for the most part In smelters , H ' of Utah, Montana, Nevada and Idaho. H FalaliticH In Mining Industry Arc Few. H One feature of the coal industry in Utah during 1015 of which H J we should all be proud is the decrease in the number of fatalities H j resulting from accidents in mines. There were but nine fatal ac- H cidenls, as against twenty-two in the previous year. There were H(': but forty-two accidents in tho serious class. During 1010 I hope 1 that both these numbers will be materially decreased. The dun- H gcrs of coal mining are being reduced by a driving home of the Hj safety first doctrine, and especially by the mine rescue and first K' aid work. R Interest In first aid and mine rescue work has boon conducted k during the last year at all the larger coal camps, the companies of- H fcring inducements to their employes, IxHh underground and sur- K face workers, to train under competent teachers so as to be of ' assistance to their fellow workmen who might meet with incident. R This first aid work has also been carried into some of the public H schools of the mining camps, and teams of Ixiys and girls organ- mV ized are showing a very high percentage of efficiency in this class H of work. Two first aid and mine rescue teams, one financed b the m Utah Fuel company and the other by the United States Fuel com- m Kiny, were sent to tho third national joint field meet for miners m held at the Panama-Pacific International exposition. The team H from Sunnysido won tho interstate competition. That this team HBJ acquitted itself in a manner of which the whole state is proud is B shown by the fact that it won eight prizes more than was won j H by any other team, j m "Safety First" for .Miner Is the Slogan. m There are two reasons that can be given for the decrease in mjt the list of fatal accidents. One is the increased effort made by the m state inspection department and the local officials for the ellm- HP ination of accidents. The first aid contests that have been held in H ( the various camps have shown the miners better perhaps than any B othor object lesson that could have been shown them the ueces- H slty for taking care of themselves and not to take chances at their H employment; that when their working nlaces appeared to them to HV i be unsafe, for them to stay out until it was made safe. The other H reason that can be given is that on account of the depression dur- R ? Ing the first half of the year, no new moil were employed, thus H I eliminating in a measure tho accident that might have occurred H ( to men who were unaccustomed to the work. H r In analyzing the output of the various minus for the year, the H average days worked during the year, twenty of the largost pro- B J duclng minus being only 188 for the year, I am forced to the con- H I elusion that should a demand be made upon the mines of this state, H j that with their prosent development and equipment the output for E next year could be doubled without opening any additional mines, H i which proves that for several years in the future we shall not be B in danger of a coal famine. B Several changes in the official families of our coal mining com- m jinnies have been made during the past year. J. S. Thompson has H been appointed general superintendent of the Utah Fuel company H in place of V. H. Williams, who resigned. The office of vice presi- H j dent and general manager of the Rlack Hawk, Castle Valley, Con- H j solldated Fuel and Panther Coal companies has been nlmlishcd, H j and Robert McGraw, late superintendent of the Castle Gate mines, tj 'm8 Ueen mnde general superintendent of the above companies, Hl) which in tho future will be known as the United States Fuel com- Hj lnny. H. E. Lewis, late general superintendent of the Consolid- j ated Fuel company, has been appointed general manager of the mM I Standard Coal company in place of L. F. Rains, who took the posi- mm j-; tlon of general manager of the new Carbon Fuel company, |