[32 
CHAPTER VIII. 
relatives, employers and trade union representatives to appear and 
examine witnesses in an enquiry into a fatal accident. We think this 
desirable. We also recommend that in Section 22 the word “shall 
be substituted for “may ”, in order to make publication of enquiry re- 
ports obligatory. 
Inspectorate. 
Having regard to the numbers and distribution of mines in India, 
the staff of inspectors employed is small. Tt consists of one chief ins- 
pector, three inspectors, five junior inspectors and one electrical inspector. 
For the administration of the Mines Act, unlike that of the Factories Act, 
the central Government isresponsible and appoints the inspecting staff, 
The Chief Inspector, whose jurisdiction extends throughout India and 
Burma, has his headquarters at Dhanbad, close to the main coalfields, 
and his close co-operation with the provincial Governments, together with 
the posting of certain inspectors at convenient centres in other provinces, 
has resulted in the satisfactory working of the system everywhere except 
in Burma. In that province it has not been possible to station an ins- 
pector permanently, and, even if there were no question of the separation 
of the province, it would, in our view, be desirable for the Burma Govern- 
ment to take over the administration. Inspections increased from 564 
in 1919 to 2,388 in 1929, the number of mines being practically the same. 
Until 1923, the Department was almost wholly concerned with technical 
and safety questions, but the Act of that year increased its work in every 
direction. Since then there has been considerable strengthening of the 
staff and additional relief afforded by the reduction in the number of coal 
mines since 1923. The exclusion of Burma should also be of material 
assistance. But the proper enforcement of the regulations dealing with 
the exclusion of women and of the new provisions regarding hours will 
necessitate a larger staff and our recommendations as to wages may also 
involve some further expansion. We think that the matter should re- 
ceive earlyand sympathetic consideration. The mining community 
owes much to the high quality of the inspectors, and we would be 
reluctant to see any reduction in the qualifications required. But 
some of the work, such as inspection of quarries and more frequent 
checking of registers, might safely be given to a class of assistant Inspector 
and we recommend that this possibility be examined : we also recommend 
that provincial and district public health officers be given the power and 
duty of inspection in regard to health matters. We desire to call 
attention to one further point in connection with administration. When 
substantial changes are made in the law, the industry is entitled to look 
to the Mines Department for assistance and advice as to measures 
which it is necessary to institute to conform to the new statutory pro- 
visions. We recommend that, in such cases, the Chief Inspector 
should take steps to confer with representatives of the employers and 
workpeople. 
Boards of Health and Welfare. 
We have dealt in another chapter with the general subject of the 
health of the industrial worker and have made recommendations for the