386 REPORT OF THE I^ORESTRY COMMITTEE 



this time the American Red Cross, having decided to organize a new department 

 devoted to first-aid instruction, was fortunate enough to obtain Dr. Shield's serv- 

 ices, the company which employed him sacrificing their own interests for the 

 benefit of the entire mining industry. Since then two other physicians have been 

 added to the Red Cross corps for this work. The Pullman Company has gen- 

 erously donated and rearranged two cars specially fitted up as traveling schools 

 of instructions. Two of the doctors live on these cars, for which the railroads 

 give free transportation. The organization of first-aid classes among miners, 

 trainmen, and other industrial employees taught by mining, railroad or local 

 physicians has been carried on by means of these cars and by the third physician, 

 who devotes his time mainly to work among miners. Major Charles Lynch, for- 

 merly at the head of the First Aid Department, has prepared a number of text- 

 books on first aid, in which not a small amount of space is devoted to instruc- 

 tion for the prevention of accidents in different industries. These books have 

 been translated into Polac, Slovac, Italian, and Lithuanian for the benefit of our 

 foreign-bom miners. 



The Red Cross, the Bureau of Mines, and the mining companies in co-opera- 

 tion hold from time to time first-aid competitions, each company competing having 

 held a preliminary competition among its local teams to select one to represent it 

 at these meetings. Special medals and diplomas are awarded by the Red Cross, 

 and frequently companies or individuals provide cups or other prizes for the 

 winning team. This greatly stimulates the interest of the men. 



Furthermore, the Red Cross gives annual prizes in money to miners and 

 trainmen for the best first aid rendered in case of actual accidents. Two years 

 ago forty teams were present at a great meeting at Pittsburgh, attended by the 

 President of the United States, also president of the American Red Cross; the 

 Secretary of the Interior, Dr. Holmes for the Bureau of Mines, and many thou- 

 sand others. The teams represented nearly every mining State in the country. 

 Some came from as far west as Oregon, the companies paying all the expense — 

 a testimony as to their estimate of the value of the work. In Pennsylvania since 

 the organization of these first-aid instructions in the mines, accident and death 

 benefits have been cut fifty per cent. Does not this prove, therefore, a labor for 

 the conservation of human life that is worth while? 



Now let me turn to the condition in our lumber industries, particularly in 

 the logging camps. It would be presuming upon my part to speak on such mat- 

 ters to those who know so much of what I know so little, had not the Red 

 Cross a service to offer them. 



Unfortunately, the vital statistics of our country are as yet far from per- 

 fect, and no data concerning accidents in the lumber industries could be obtained 

 from the Census Bureau. For this reason we are forced to base our statistics on 

 those obtained from the State of Washington, where 47,400 men are employed in 

 this industry. In twenty-three months' time we find 351 fatal accidents occurred, 

 990 persons permanently partially disabled, and 8,420 suffered from temporary 

 total disability. To bring this down to monthly averages gives us more than 



