The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-04-23
LUMBER JACKS
Are RATED AS
IMPORTANT

Action to insure required man
the logging and numbering industries
in the Rocky Mountain area was tax
en- April IL by John R. McCusker
regional War Manpower Commission
director after VINO Chairman Pau
V. McNutt declared the lumber in
dustry to be the No. 1 manpower prob
lem of the west.
The war manpower commission
through its local U. S. Employment
Service offices and with the co-opera
ton of management and labor will be-
gin an intensified campaign to return
workers to the forests, Mr.. McCusker
announced.
The campaign to keep lumber work
ers on the job and to urge the re-
turn to the industry of experienced
workers now employed in other activ-
tiles was initiated upon receipt of in
structions from Mr.. McNutt which
stated in part: you are directed to
take all possible steps to assure that
loggers remain on their jobs and to
arrange for the transfer back to the
woods of workers with logging expert
ence who are now in other employ
ment. l expect fullest cooperation in
this program by management and la
Dor, both in the logging industry and
the other industries in which loggers
are now employed.
ITO assure a vital supply of lum-
Der, every man with logging expert
ence now employed in other activities
must consider it his solemn duty eX-
cept under most unusual circum-
stances, to serve his country by re-
turning to the woods. the forests
are the battle front for all loggers."
Mr. McCusker said that every effort
would be made to trace down expert
enced lumber workers, whether in es-
sential or non-essential activities.
They will be informed that their serv-
ices are urgently needed in the log
ging industry and that their full con-
tribution toward winning the war re-
quires their return
Employers will be obliged to sep
arate woods workers from other forms
of employment if they have been en-
ployed since September 7, 1912, with
out a Certificate of Separation.
He emphasized that the drive for
the return of lumber workers will not
be detrimental. to the needs of other
war essential industries. Vital activ-
titles which lose workers through this
back-to-the-woods campaign will be-
given employment service priority in
replacement through the transfer of
available workers from other areas
where tire is a surplus of labor
supply.
A major part of the lumber indus
try in this region is concentrated in
northern Idaho and western Mon
tana," Mr. McCusker said. "These in
dustries have in the past required a
peak employment of approximately |
$4,000 workers. With the increasing
of lumber in the war pro-
gram, that number may be inadequate.
Certainly it is vitality important that
we keep every experienced worker ON
the job for which he is best qualified. |
IF we can contact these former |
lumber workers with the cooperation |
of management and labor and inform |
them of the Importance of using their
skills in this No. 1 industry, we will |
have accomplished the task" Mr. Nc
Cusker said, ''for | am confident that |
these men are ready to serve where |
they can be of best use in the war |
Mr.. McCuskr cited a recent direc- |
tive from Maj Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, |
director of Selective Service |
in which state Selective Service di |
rectors were requested to "re-empha-
size the cooperation required by the
Selective Service System toward the
full effectiveness of the lumber and |
mining sterilization order
by directing your local boards that all
registrants of military age who are
giving a full measure of their time
and effort to the job, or who have
contracted to enter the covered lum-
Der and metal operations in reasona-
bly, near future, should receive the
most serious consideration for occupa-
tional deferment"