Pennsylvania Act 1903-184 — MINERS' HOME, ESTABLISHMENT

Act text

MINERS' HOME, ESTABLISHMENT
                 Act of Apr. 22, 1903, P.L. 248, No. 184              Cl. 52
                                  AN ACT

     To provide a Miners' Home or Homes for old, crippled and
        helpless employes of the coal mines of Pennsylvania; for the
        naming of trustees, with power to purchase land, erect
        buildings thereon, and manage the same; the admission of the
        wives of such employes where they have reached the age of
        fifty-five years; the conditions for admission to such Home
        or Homes, and the raising of revenue to support it or them.

        Section 1.  Be it enacted, &c., That a board of five citizens
     of the State of Pennsylvania, two of whom shall be selected from
     the anthracite regions of Pennsylvania, one from the employer
     and one from the employe class; two from the bituminous regions
     of Pennsylvania, one from the employer and one from the employe
     class, and one well known sociologist, shall be named by the
     Governor to act as trustees for the following purposes:
        Section 2.  That the said trustees are empowered, in the name
     of the Miners' Home of Pennsylvania, to purchase land, and erect
     building thereon for the indigent and aged people who have been
     employed in, around and about the mines, and for the wives of
     such people, and to do all necessary acts and things that may be
     essential in establishing a home, within the intent of this
     legislation.

        Compiler's Note:  Section 9(c) of Act 173 of 1978 provided
            that section 2 is repealed insofar as it is inconsistent
            with 1 Pa.C.S. § 2301(c) (relating to equality of rights
            based on sex).
        Section 3.  That for the purposes of this Home, it shall be
     lawful for the said trustees to enter into contracts with the
     employers operating coal mines in Pennsylvania, and the employes
     in, around and about the coal mines, for the purpose of raising
     revenue to establish and maintain such Home or Homes.
        Section 4.  That all moneys raised by reason of these
     contracts are to be paid into the State Treasury of
     Pennsylvania, and there held as a special fund, subject to the
     orders of the trustees.
        Section 5.  That after a concensus of opinion is ascertained,
     by and through the representatives of the laboring people and
     the trustees, as to what amount of money it is advisable that
     each class of laborers in, around and about the coal mines shall
     contribute to maintain this Miners' Home or Homes, then the
     trustees of such Home or Homes shall have blanks prepared for
     the said miners and others working around the coal mines to
     sign, whereby said employe shall assent to the amount to be
     collected from his earnings by the said employer and forwarded
     to the State Treasurer of Pennsylvania.
        Section 6.  That after it is determined between the
     representatives of the employers and the trustees what amount
     will be contributed for each ton of coal mined and marketed,
     then blanks for all contracts between the trustees and the
     employers are to be furnished to the employers, whereby the
     employers, for a period of at least one year, are to contract
     with the trustees that they will send to the State Treasurer,
     quarterly, the amount that is agreed upon shall be charged on
     each ton of coal, for the Miners' Home or Homes, and each
     succeeding year such amount shall be determined in the same way,
     and new contracts made.
        Section 7.  That only those are eligible to this Home who
     are, first, citizens of the State of Pennsylvania, and, second,
     who have worked in, around and about the coal mines of
     Pennsylvania for a period of at least twenty-five years, and
     have reached the age of sixty years; unless, (a) an employe has
     been so seriously injured in, around and about the mines as to
     be physically incapacitated for further labor, in which event
     application can be made in writing, setting forth his physical
     condition, and such application shall be sent to the secretary
     or one of the trustees of the said Home; then the said trustees
     shall authorize the physician of the Miners' Home, and one
     other, to ascertain the condition of the said applicant; and if
     it is proven that the injury has incapacitated said applicant,
     and it is so certified by the said examining physicians, then
     the certificate shall admit him into the Home; or, unless, (b)
     an employe has become a victim of what is commonly called
     "miner's asthma;" then such person can apply to the secretary or
     one of the trustees of the said Home for admission into the said
     Home because of such affliction; whereupon the trustees shall
     name a Home physician, and one other, to examine such applicant;
     and if it is found that such applicant is suffering from said
     miner's asthma, in such a way as to physically incapacitate him
     from earning his livelihood in the mines, or otherwise, and the
     physicians so certify, then such certificate shall admit him
     into the Home: Provided, That no insane, demented or degenerate
     person shall be admitted into the said Home, and where they are
     already admitted and become insane, demented or degenerate, a
     board of inquiry, composed of two physicians connected with
     State sanitariums, together with the Home physician, shall act
     upon such case or cases; and in all such case or cases, on
     petition of the trustees to the Governor, he, the Governor,
     shall then designate what other two physicians from the State
     sanitariums shall act with the Home physician as the said
     examining board. And when such board shall determine that such
     member of the Home is either insane, demented or degenerate,
     then such member, upon the report of the board, shall be sent to
     some State institution, as is best suited for his or her
     affliction.
        Section 8.  That the wives of all the men who are eligible to
     this Home, by reason of the provisions of section seven, and who
     have attained the age of fifty-five years, are eligible to live
     in this Home.

        Compiler's Note:  Section 9(c) of Act 173 of 1978 provided
            that section 8 is repealed insofar as it is inconsistent
            with 1 Pa.C.S. § 2301(c) (relating to equality of rights
            based on sex).
        Section 9.  That each person, upon entering the said Home,
     shall make an assignment to the said trustees of all his or her
     personal and real estate, with power in the said trustees to
     collect rents, issues and profits of all his or her estate; and
     the said trustees and their successors shall hold said property
     for the following uses and purposes: first, the rents, issues
     and profits to be turned into the State Treasury for the common
     fund of the Home or Homes; second, if any inmate of the Home
     desires to sever his or her connection with the said Home, he or
     she can make application of the said trustees, and then at the
     end of six months, if the application is not withdrawn, the
     trustees shall reconvey to the said inmate the property conveyed
     to the trustees. If, though, the said inmate dies within the
     said six months, then the property is to remain the common
     property of the Home. After the death of any inmate, the
     trustees shall convert all such person's real and personal
     property into money, and turn the same into the State Treasury
     as part of the Miners' Home Fund: Provided, That one hundred and
     twenty-five dollars of such money or property as came through
     any particular inmate's estate shall be used for his or her
     burial, in any such manner as such inmate may have directed, or
     as the nearest of kin suggest in the event the deceased had not
     given directions.
        Section 10.  That all inmates of this Home may be as well
     occupied as circumstances will permit, the trustees are directed
     to buy sufficient lands, from time to time, to be farmed by such
     inmates, and if there is more than enough farm-produce raised
     for use at the Home, then the surplus is to be sold at market
     prices, and this profit is to be used to the best advantage to
     get such extras or necessaries, either in the way of apparel,
     edibles or home comforts, as is deemed best by the trustees.