Show GOVERNMENT HELPING MINES TO SOL SOLVE VE PROBLEMS AND SPEED UP ORE OUTPUT ALONG CERTAIN Notwithstanding tho fact that tho the dove dovo of peace peco hovering over o the battlefields bat bat- batI I about to I of o Europe appears light it I is considered as important to toda today tolay to- to da lay day as It I was when In tho the dark 1 clays hostilities s were at their height that tho mines continue to pour their precious burden Into thin tho maws of DC tho the great griat so government war wal plants Consequently efforts are aro made to maintain the mining In industry ns as I near maximum production a as possible Along this lino Ino the Mining Congress I Journal says that the necessities of or ortho the tho war var situation have ha stimulated In ilL Inmany many wa ways to greater activity the I functions of the tho bureau of mines department de de- IC- IC of the Interior whoso normal field covers co the production of oC metals an and minerals and n joins that of or the war wal Industries hoard hoar which Is concerned with manufactures and supplies and prices o of raw materials for the same Much of or this Increased activity iy et has fallen fallen fal- fal len cn to the war minerals investigation branch of or the bureau of mines provided for tor b by special congressional Under this branch most of or the tho special war activities act havo have becu grouped In Iii the tue field of or actual mining al and ad il milling numerous field feld en engineers have been active and the policy has been adopted of having havil these men afford help in th thin tho wa way ay of ot advice as is to correct mining millIng minInG and n milling methods methods meth meth- where this a advice alce Is needed and also regarding all al other mining and marketing problems A great volume of work hn has been done alon along these lines which has made for greater ef- ef e- e In ill pro production and nd which Is not Intended ed to form part of or an any special stU study or memoir In the thc various bureau of oC mines ex experiment cx- cx ex- ex stations special problems of ot otoro ore oro treatment have been and are aro und un- un d dej Investigation in Satisfactory I ments In the concentration of oC the thc western westi west west- i em ern chrome ores have havo o ha been made matle at Seattle Se Se- attic attle atle and ant experiments on the west Texas sulphur ores show their probable amenability to lo the flotation method These arc are on only I examples of or numerous investigations on milling methods which cover manganese graphite and other war minerals Laboratory Investigations with the thc view of oC Increasing tho the supply of ot electrodes elec- elec rodes so as to make them available for 01 western electric furnaces are under un un- un- un del dec wa way In Colora Colorado o. o The rhe subject of ot the thc pro production of or has been thoroughly Investigated Investigated Invest Invest- gat gated d b by Cel field parties partes in all al parts of ot the he country countr and in iii a addition dlton the bureau bureau bu- bu reau eau of or mines' mines engineers have hac Investigated In es Newfoundland lan and Cuba the hatter alter later in Iii conjunction with the United States geological survey sur Priorities Prior The war minerals investigation In or organization or- or has provided provide for handling the thc he questions of oC priorities both of railroad rail rall- ral- ral roa road oad transportation and of or supplies and fuel eel an and a very cry or large number of ot applications ap- ap have havo o ha been handled The bureau bureau bu- bu I reau eau has also had hd to act as n adviser to ho tIm railroad administration a as to the COnstruction of or short lines designed to tap lap mine mines he be problem being as 9 to Whether such such construction was a L war wn necessity or 01 bo ho postponed Similarly tho the bureau hureau of ot mines has acted a as adviser ad In mining matters to other government o organizations organizations' It I ha has acted as the tue nd advising engineer of oC tho capital Issues committee of or tho the war war finance corporation as to lo whether proPosed proposed pro pro- posed Issues of oC mining stock were WCO es essential es- es to carrying on tho the war or 01 could bo ho In postponed It I has also worked I operation co-operation with wih and acted as adviser to the war Industries board boar especially In iii certain matters maters such as p pyrite sulphur sulphur sul sul- an and sulphuric acid tungsten etc and In the decisions an and measures taken h by 11 the board boar on these subjects It has played an important part Tho The bureau has In s-omo s cases undertaken under tinder r- r talc taken en l the difficult problem of oC highway construction where whore this was necessary as the outlet for an Important war mineral min mm eral cral and In the case of or the tho important discoveries elio of or In OU count county California th tho efforts of uC the bureau working through the thc forest service the office of f public roads the local count county government go and tho the operators operators oper oper- atols atol's themselves succeeded In promptly prompt prompt- I ly starting the construction of or tho thio necessary necessary necessary essary highway Labor Situation i iThe The Tho labor section of or the tho war minerals min mm- olal investigation has proved cd a useful useful use use- ful tul undertaking an and Is operating co with ith wih tho department of or labor and In general handles the tue whole subject of mining labor in that connection Inman In lii Inmany man ninny many c cases ses labor difficulties to lo which Important war mines were submitted R as a result of ot unfair labor Jabor competition tion have o ha been e relieved and in general gen gen- enera en- en era eral cral I tho the measures taken by the United United Unit Unit- ed States employment ment service to to allocate alo- alo allo ahio- cate unskilled labor have ha e been leen directed as regards mining labor In such a way as to bring about tho the maximum ef c- c ef- ef operation Co-operation Co with the war department has also been undertaken supplying classification of or the tho mining men according to their work as a basIs basis basis ba ba- ba- ba sis for deferred cl classification and cooperating co co- operating with the war department and the manpower committee of ot the department department depart depart- I ment at of r labor in seeing that the minIn mining min min- In ing industry is Included e to maintain maximum production As a result resul of oC the investigations ol ot tho the bureau as as asto to to the dangers angers which threaten production of or war minerals mInerals Secretary Lane Lana has lies written to Chairman Chairman Chair Chair- Cair- Cair man Kitchin Kichin of or the ways was and means committee lee recommending that tho the excess ex ex- cc cess s profits tax be le suspended in the tho case of oC those mines pro producing a n war wares es essential until special installations put in for that purpose shul should be amortized amor arnor- an and this recommendation haj ha been universally universal approved ed of or by b those in possession of ot the tho facts The platinum situation has been I closely closel studied b by the tho bureau an and in with the tue war Industries co operation wat board plans an and regulations have been drawn up which It Is believed wll wil wf enable a satisfactory of or this thi commodity and these regulations will willbe wi be put Into effect through tho the war Industries industries In in- board I I I |