The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-08-13
BY S. BURTON HEATH NEA Staff Correspondent

St. Clairsville, O., Aug. 13-A bitu- minous coal shortage of at least 35 million tons could be averted this year if 25,000 more miners were made available in the coal fields, experts say. But the most they can hope for, apparently. is around 1000.
 As a result, although American mines are capable of producing TAO million tons a year, the operators fear that they can not dig as much as 570 million tons this year. Un- less they do, householders who heat with soft" coal will not get even the 80 per cent of normal tonnage that has been promised them.
 This sharp decrease from last years record output of 620 million tons is attributed to a steady drain of coal field manpower ever since the gar began. In 1940, the Bureau of Mines reports, 440,000 men whose average age was only 32 years old, produced slightly under 461 million tons. This year 390000 men, who average 45 years old, are asked to dig 600 million tons.
 CAN'T STAND PACE
 The 50,000 drop in personal and the 13-year rise in average age re- fleet the drafting of the youngest, strongest men, and the shift of many to easier. big-paying war factory jobs. The latter shift away from the most essential of all war produc- tion has been encouraged by the War Manpower Commission, which has sent caravans into the coal fields recruiting miners for factory work.
 The men who remain include many who. came out of retirement after we got into the war. One man who is 84 years old has been found working in mine. Twelve were found who averaged more than 75 years old. On the train that brought me out of the Hanna Coal and Ore Company's Willow Grove mine near here, the only man who looked as young as 45 was the as- sistant superintendent acting as my escort. ,.,,
 Such men have showed average production up from 1,049 tons per man-year in 194O to 1,619 tons per man-year in 1944. But they can not stand that pace. Last years record was made possible by super production during the first half. From January through June, 22,- coo .OO0 tons less were mined this year than last.
 "The nations bituminous mines are capable of producing almost unlimited quantities of coal" Rob- ert Livingston Ireland, Jr., presi- dent of the Hanna Coal and Ore Go. and treasurer of the Bitum- inous Coal Institute, told me.
 We can't fight this war without coal. It takes coal to run trains, to make steel, to produce electricity, to heat homes. If there is any one commodity that is more essential to war production than any other, 1t is coal.
 Our will to mine coal is prov- en by last years 620,000, ,000-ton record, made by relatively old miners who averaged more than 50 per cent greater than pre-war pro- duction per man. But we can not go on like that. America has mines capable of meeting any conceiva- blc demand All we need is some more machinery and additional manpower.
 we ask that at least 25,000 out of the 100000 service men be- ing discharged should be coal miners. That does not seem un- reasonable. in view of the tre- mendous importance of coal both to war industry and to civilian comfort"
 STICK TO POINT SYSTEM
 The Army,s response to the in dustry's request that 25,000 miners be screened out of uniform was that perhaps 1000 would be included among those scheduled for release, and that notwithstanding the in- portance of coal, no deviation from the point system would be permitted merely to provide coal miners.
 At a hearing early this month before an unofficial committee of Congress1nen from Kentucky. Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, Under-Secretary of War Patterson expressed confidence that the anticipated shortage would not slow down war pro- duction. He was asked:
 "But is 1t of no concern to you that hundreds of thousands of