Show l LABOR BIG BIGI 1 I I I FACTOR WITH I. I 4 MILL I II I I oF IJ Estimated c ted Most lost l of Mines Iines Have Lost 25 5 Per Pcr Cent I of or Forces Forces I I According to a writer In the thc Wall WallStreet a Street Journal the belief that the government gov guv- p I I will allow copper producers producers' I i maximum prices while the war lasts that they the may ma Keep pace keep pace with advancing advancing ad ad- costs has been responsible to toa toa toa a big hiI extent for 01 the strength and ac activity activity ac- ac aC 1 tI It In copper opper shares Utah Copper more than earned It Its dividend In the I first six months despite c high costs and ancIl I Iwar war taxes Nixes and It Is assumed that other r bl big producers Anaconda a and I Inspiration did likewise If the copper price keeps pace with a advancing costs there Is every err reason son to expect that the big companies wi will more than earn their dividend disbursements Labor bor Is the big bib factor f on which producers producers producers pro pro- I are concentrating their their- atten tion Copper I Is scarce sarce and the falling off hi In manpower Is serious but there I Is lg an nn Impression islon In copper circles that when the new ne draft law goes Into ef effect cf- cf I feet there will be a provision exempting exempting exempt exempt- In ing copper miners At l the conference between r refiners i representatives l s of oC producers and mom mem members hers bers of ot the theal war al Industries board nl In I Washington on Au August lItt 7 i emphasis ls was W placed on the contraction Ir In the thc supply of oC labor Higher heI wages Increased cd frel freight h t charges cs and heavier refining I torts tolls had hall failed trolled to move the board to I Increase the price above 26 G cents a aI I pound I This new factor the factor the falling off ote In manpower to quote a representative I of oC one producer who attended the tho meeting threatens to curtail production production tion lion at a time when e every pound of or i l is absolutely necessary ary to th the I Il successful s ful prosecution of oC th the war Any further depiction depletion In working forces Corces ot or l the mines will so 50 seriously interfere If with copper opper output as to occasion alarm I Notwithstanding the heavy y decrease in production recent recently producers have hae I made a CallI fairly good showing everything everything every every- thing considered One authority cerY 1 said said- Though not governed b by any rules except those of oC expediency In Ind Individual individual ld ual eases cases It Is not unusual for Cor large e mines to employ 25 5 per cent of or their labor In that class of or development de either cither In the nature of or prospecting for tor I new ore bo bodies le or 01 In preparation for Cor I less Jess Immediate ore ole extraction usual usually termed I There are arc few mines which have ha not I lost over 23 25 per pet cent of or their total force torce Many Ian have hae been reduced over 1 30 per cent Tn In the effort to maintain production an era a average e of oC perhaps four four- fifths of or the men employed cd In dead lead four I work have been transferred to ore ex ex- ex exI I traction In this manner although f mines ma may be operating with a total force on only 70 iO per cent of or normal the they still mo may employ for extracting ore over o 90 per cc curt it of oC the number of oC men normally occupied In this division of oC I mine labor But this percentage In I number number- docs does not mean an equal percentage percentage per per- In extraction because pcr-I pcr the I a average efficiency nc of or the tho men who have been withdrawn was considerably I higher than titan that of or the the- force w which remains |