Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-09-05
FAIRMoNT. W. Va, Sept. !

government agents.
FAIRMONT, w. Va, Sept. d.
Brooks Fleming, Jr., recently named
Production Manager" for the Fair
mont coal district which includes Mar
ion, Monongalai, Harrison, Taylor,
Preston, Barbour, Randolph, Lewis,
Gilmer, Braxton, Uupshur, Webster
and part Of Nicholas counties, goes
to Washington tonight for confer
ence with the Fuel Administration
] in regard to exempting mine workers
from military service. f X. Day,
sengineer for the Consolidation Coal
Co. for the West Virginia division,
who was given Through that he
migth act as assistant production
manager during the period of the
war, accompanied Mr.. Fleming The
plan is TO insist upon fnineworkers
who are essential to production ask
ing and accepting deferred classitica-
ton.
There are about twenty-five re-
quests for derred classification for
registrants who are to entrain for
military service Wednesday and
Thursday Of this week. Some of the
earlier requests made to Mr.. Fleming
were taken before the district draft
board for northern West Virginia at
Cln .l,eb,,r.r s,,,.s ,ua,.a ,e,.avt IA =.
doubtful if all of those can be hand
led as there is no time for the formal
procedure necessary. 1t is plain that
coal operators have been negligent
in not making claims for exemption
for mine workers. Where such claims
i have been made the form of proce-
dure has often not been carried out
which has resulted in men going to
environments who would have done
more effectul work eiitS winning the
war in the northern West Virginia
mines. Mr.. Fleming points, out tina.
many cases are brought to his at
tention "a or AZ hours before en-
trainment which is not sufficient time
to prepare papers and proceed in the
proper manner. Mr., Fleming is pre-
pairing forms to be sent to coal oper
sators of the district for use where
deferred classification is sought fol
linen engaged in use where referred
) classification is sought for men en-.
a gagged in the coal industry.
Mr.. Fleming appeared before the
e northern district board at Clarks
burg last Friday and has not some
a local boards and talked over The
phone with others. He has beer
treated with courtesy and considera
]. ton in every instance and fully real
e ize the position in which the draf
t boards find themselves, having theil
hands tied with system Of handling
matters which coal operators have no
understood so that procedure has MOI
always followed the proper FORM
For instance l.. E. Peck, of Mis-
e souri,, is employed as electrician at
Y Jamison No. near Pennington. HI
k was granted deferred classification
y because Of wife and six months ole
baby. But he heard everyone talk
!. ing about war until he felt that hi
could do better service in France thar
here at home. He sent his wife tx
Missouri and arranged to enter tht
e service. Brooks Fleming happened
n on this information just after taking
J, his present position. He asked Johi
S Wolfe, general manager Of the Yves
8 Virginia division Of the Jamison in
n terests, regarding Peck and found gu
his work was essential; in fact Wolf,
u said it would certainly cripple pro
f dution for Peck to leave. So Mr.
f Fleming wrote a letter urging Mr.
n Peck to continue in his present ca
It pacity and the Fairmont draft boar,
e wrote to his Missouri draft board ask
ing that ne be transferred to Marion
n county in order that the case nigh
/ be handled to best advantage.
i 1t is being emphasized that Will
the government wants soldiers tn
demand for faithful workers in tn
mines is just as insistent and it j
not advisable for mineworker t
: leave his present employment unles
; he can easily be replaced