Evening star., 1942-09-01
War Agency Heads
Appeal 10 Miners 10
Stay on Their Jobs
Production Slowing Down
For Lack Of Ore, MeNutt
Says in Message

With the assertion that the coun-
try's war effort is being slowed down
for lack of ores, four heads of wal
agencies appealed today to miners
of copper and other critical metals
to stay on their jobs" and produce
more raw materials for the fight
against the Axis powers.
TIE messages came from War
Production Chief Donald M. Nelson
Mai. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, dl-
rector of selective service. w. H
Davis, chairman of the National
War Labor Board, and Paul V. NC
Mutt, chairman Of the War Man
power Commission.
Gen. Hershey disclosed that local
draft boards had been asked to see
that required mining production Is
not reduced by the needs OF the
armed forces. But he added;
I'VE are telling them that only
those who devote the prescribed
working week each week and the
prescribed working day each day,
those who remain on the job for
which they have been deferred, are
qualified for consideration"
Where Production Starts.
Mr.. McNutt wrote: The Nations
war effort is slowing down for lack
of ore from your mines. To defeat
the Axis you must furnish the metal
for more ships and planes, more
tanks and guns, more bombs and
bullets.
The mines are where American
war production starts. The might
lest of armies, the largest of fac
tories, cannot win their war unless
you supply the metal for making the
weapons of war.
why is not more ore being pro-
duced? Because there are not
enough men working in the mines.
Too many miners left to take other
jobs. Many of these jobs, it is true,
are also in war production, but very
few of them will contribute as much
to victory as the job in the mine
that was left behind"
Mr.. McNutt assured the miners
that the Government realized their
problems and was taking steps to
solve them.
Don't Let Them Down."
NWLB Chairman Davis pledged
that his board would hurry de-
cision on the consolidated case for
wage increases in the mines.
Mr.. Nelson pointed out that WPB
had called together in Washington
representatives of each Government
agency concerned with mining prob
lens. The job of this inter-depart-
mental group, he said. is "to see that
appropriate steps are taken to speed
lily adjust wage differences and to
meet manpower shortages in the
mines" The production director
added:
Until these problems are settled,
this is my personal plea to every
miner in America. I ask you, as pa
triotic Americans, to stay on the job.
Your work in the mines is a more
important contribution to victory
than you could possibly make in any
other job. Stay where you are, even
ii 1t means personal sacrifice. And
as you stay, work as many days each
week as you can"
Mr.. Nelson added: "Your fellow
Americans in the Army and Navy,
like your fellow workers in the fac
tories, are depending on you. Don't
let them down."
The letters were directed to
workers in the mines, mills, smelters
and refineries of copper, lead. zinc,
manganese, mercury. chromium,
molybdenum, tungsten and vana-
dunn"
Copies were sent to unions and
managements of mines. smelters and
refineries and to mayors of mining
towns in an effort, the announce
ment said, ''to stop the drain of
skilled manpower away from pro-
duction of these vital raw materials" :"