Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-19
Ickes Demands Steps
To Provide Coal Mine
Labor in Northwest
Output in Four States
Is insufficient to Fill
Needs, Aide Reports
BY JESSE o. IRWIN.

Solid Fuels Co-ordinator Ickes
has requested the War Produc-
ton Board to take steps to re-
lieve a critical Pacific Northwest
fuel situation because of mine
labor shortage, claiming he Is
able to get little or no action"
from the War Manpower Com
mission, it was learned today.
While members of Congress have
charged the commission with sub
stituting the word for the deed" this
was the first time another Federal
agency is reported to have been so
outspoken against the VINO.
Mr.. Ickes, it was said, made over
lures to the VINO three months ago
to recruit miners and to set up a
labor sterilization plan to prevent
further exodus of workers from the
western pits to higher paying war
industries.
On learning no action had been
taken. Mr.. Ickes authorized his
associate, Thomas j. Thomas, to
appear before the WPB's Labor Re-
qulrements Committee. which was
organized to advise VINO on the
scope of the war supply program,
with a request that measures be
taken at once to obtain 1000 miners.
The committee is reported to have
taken the matter under Amusement
Appearance Follows Letter.
Mr.. Thomas first sent a letter.
then appeared before the committee.
In his letter, Mr.. Thomas said it was
stupid and ssilly" to continue to
move coal virtually all the way
across the Continent to meet a
critical shortage" in Oregon, Wash
ington and Alaska The coal was
being moved direct from West Viz
ginia and Pennsylvania fields, he
said.
He contended that consumers in
the Northwest are operating on a
'hand-to-mouth' basis, and that suf-
flclent coal is not being produced in
Washington, Oregon, Utah and Wyo-
ming to meet the requirements in
the regions served by those mines"
With Eastern States struggling
with coal as we'll as fuel Oil short
ages, Mr.. Thomas letter said the
situation in the Northwest has be-
come so critical that LOT, 700 tons of
Eastern coal have been moved Off
the docks at Duluth and Superior
to Washington, and commitments
have been made for an additional
10000 tons requiring the same
movement"
He explained that mines in Wash
ington and Oregon and in the Rocky
Mountain region could supply the
demand if they had sufficient ex-
perienced miners.
He said he had asked the COM
mission to supply $50 miners in
Washington, $50 in Utah, $50 in
Wyoming, $50 in Colorado and 200
in New Mexico.
Conferred With McSherry.
Mr. Thomas informed the WPB
committee he had held several con-
ferences with Brig. Gen. Frank J..
McSherry, former VINO chief of
operations. Gen, McSherry is re-
ported to have said the matter
would be Investigated. The War
Department recently recalled Gen.
McSherry TO active military duty.
A Manpower Commission spokss-
man was quoted as saying the VINO
! had no record of Mr. Ickes' request.
However the commission an
nounced recently negotiations were
being opened with the Mexican
government to import several
thousand MeXicans to relieve labor
shortages on farms and in mines in
the Western States.
II was said that while Mr. Thomas
was negotiating with Gen. Nc
Sherry an appeal was made to John
l.. Lewis, president of the United
Mine Workers. and he is said t
have promptly authorized the Pa
cific Northwest and Rocky Noun
/ tain Region miners TO work seven
days a week, including holidays, to
/ relieve the shortage This was de.
! scribed as an unprecedented &C
! tiD1 "