1898 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

'^-^'^^"i MINING LAWS OF PENNSYLVANIA. Off. Doc.Section 3. That at every bituminous coal mine in this Commonwealth,where coal is mined by weight or measure, the miners or amajority of those present at a meeting called for that purpose, shallhave the right to employ a competent person as check-weighman, orcheck-measurer as the case may require, who shall be permitted atall times to be present at the weighing or measurement of coal, alsohave power to weigh or measure the same, and during the regularworking hours to have the privilege to balance and examine thescales, or measure the cars:Provided, That all such balancing or examinationof scales shall only be done in such way, and in such time,as in no way to interfere with the regular working of the mines.And he shall not be considered a trespasser during working hourswhile attending to the interests of his employers. And in no mannershall he be interfered with or intimidated by any person, agent,owner or miner. And any person violating these provisions shall beheld and deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon convictionthereof, he shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty dollars,and not exceeding one hundred dollars, or imprisonment at thediscretion of the court. It shall be a further duty of check-weighmanor check-measurer to credit each miner with all merchantablecoal mined by him, on a proper sheet or book to be kept by him forthat purpose. When differences arise between the check-weighmanor check-measurer and the agent or owners of the mine, as to theuniformity, capacity or correctness of scales or cars used, the sameshall be referred to the mine inspector of the district where the mineis located, whose duty it shall be to regulate the same at once, andin the event of said scales or cars proving to be correct, then theparty or parties applying for the testing thereof to bear all costsand expenses thereof; but if not correct then the owner or ownersof said mine to pay the cost and charges of making said examination:Provided further. That should any weighman or weighmen, agent orcheck-measurer, whether employed by operators or miners, knowinglyor willfully adopt or take more or less pounds for a bushel orton than is provided for in the first section of this act, or willfullyneglect the balancing or examining of the scales or cars, or knowinglyand willfully weigh coal with an incorrect scale, he shall beguilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisonedin the county jail for three months.Section 4.All acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act arehereby repealed.Approved—The 1st day of June, A. D. 1883.ROBT. E.PATTISON.