1898 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. MINING LAWS OF PENNSYLVANIA. clixSection 2.All acts or parts of acts inconsistent lierewith be andthe same are hereby repealed.Approved—The 15th day of June, A. D. 1897.DANIEL H. HASTINGS.AN ACTEstablishing a Bureau of Mines in the Department of Internal Affairs of Pennsylvania,defining its purposes and authority, providing for the appointment of achief of said bureau and assistants, and fixing their salaries and expenses.Section 1. Be it enacted, &c.. That there is hereby established inthe Department of Internal Affairs of Pennsylvania a bureau to beknown as the Bureau of Mines, which shall be charged with thesupervision of the execution of the mining laws of this Commonwealth,and the care and publication of the annual reports of theinspectors of coal mines.Section 2. The chief officer of the bureau shall be denominatedChief of the Bureau of Mines, and shall be appointed by the Governor,by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, withinthirty days after the final passage of this act, and every four yearsthereafter, who shall be commissioned by the Governor to serve aterm of four years from the date of his appointment, and untilhis successor is duly qualified, and shall receive an annual salary ofthree thousand dollars and traveling expenses; and in case of avacancy in the office of Chief of said Bureau, by reason of death,resignation or otherwise, the Governor shall appoint a qualified personto fill such vacancy for the unexpired balance of the term.Section 3. The Chief of the Bureau of Mines shall be a competentperson having had at least ten years practical experience in theworking and ventilation of coal mines of this State, and a practicaland scientific knowledge of all noxious and dangerous gases foundin such mines. The said Chief of the Bureau of Mines so appointedshall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribeto the oath of office prescribed by the Constitution, the sameto be filed in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, andgive to the Commonwealth a bond in the penal sum of ten thousanddollars,with surety to be approved by the Governor and Secretaryof Internal Affairs, conditioned for the faithful discharge of theduties of his office.Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Chief of the Bureau to devotethe whole of his time to the duties of his office, and to see thatthe mining laws of this State are faithfully executed; and for this