The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-31
.UNSK|LLED LABOR IS WANTED AT PLANT .OF COPELAND Birmingham Shale Neces-
 sary to Building of Con- crete Ships HOO UNSKILLED
 LABORERS WANTED Big 500o-Ton Ship Cannot Be Launched September 10 Unless Shale Is Forthcoming From Birmingham

To prevent the possible idleness Of 15oo employees of the shipbuilding plant at Brunswick. Ga, because Birmingham
 is threatened with labor shortage :n the production of the shale of this dis trict, an urgent crp for unskilled work
 men is going up from the emergency fleet corporation through Special Representa-
 tive l.. H. Lacy.
 The cry has been taken up locally by
 the Civic association and the United
 States employment service and energetic
 steps are being taken to supply an ad-
 ditonal 100 men for the plant of the
 Copeland-Ingls Shale Brick company at
 Alton, 13 miles from Birmingham, on
 the Seaboard Air Line railway
 BIRMINGHAM STALE WANTED
 There is fine prospect of the Bir-
 mingham shale being used as the lag gregate' in mixing concrete for 70 ves- sells that are building in the southern
 yards. The test is being made in the
 5000-ton concrete ship being constructed at Brunswick. This boat will be launched September 10, provided the extra labor can be had for the local plant, and be- cause of the success so far in the use of the Birmingham shale 1t is predicted that the entire southern yard programme of concrete ships will take this ma terial
 This would mean not less than 200o car s in the next few months.
 ''I think it is the duty that we owe the nation to supply workmen for this im- portant industry in our very midst, . says Secretary Manager c. l.. Harold of the Civic association. Tt is planned 70 launch the big concrete ship at Bruns- wick on September 10. Unless the rate | of shale production is at least doubled 1500 workmen will be thrown into idle ness at Brunswick. This would be a reflection on the city of Birmingham on whose patriotism the government relies
 for the uninterrupted flow of this valua- | ble material This plant needs 100 un- skilled laborers at once. The best wages will be paid and the men will be allowed l to work on task thus giving them an opportunity to increase their earnings Good housing conditions have been es- tablished at Alton and the town is Tn | easy reach of the recreational facilities of Birmingham.
 l UNLIMITED SUPPLY HERE 1 "There is an unlimited supply of this 1 carbonaccous shale m the Birmingham district The city-s pride should awaker l to the possibilities of extending the use of this material It absolutely eliminates ] the use of sand in making concrete fol ships and causes a saving of 635 pounds l per cubic yard and thus contributes t' j the carrying capacity of the concrete ship. which can be easily imagined whe' | one thinks of the enormous additiona l cargo that may be carried by reason o l thus tightening the vessel
 l It is the object of the Copeland-ln' i plis Shale Brick company to increase their output to 100000 brick per month The process of preparing the shale fol concrete building is the same as manu featuring brick in the same plant ex cept that crusher is employed to crusf the shale to a certain degree of hnenes' and in this form it is loaded on cars foi shinment