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Show BUREAU OF MINES War Minerals Investigation Branch Has Given Much Help. COVERS A BIG FIELD Special Problems Arising Receive Prompt and Expert Ex-pert Attention. The necessities of the war situation hav stimulated In many ways to greater activity tho functions of the bureau of mines, department of the interior, whose normal field covers the production of metals and minerals, and joins that of the war Industries board, which is concerned con-cerned with manufactures and supplies and prices of raw materials Tor the same. Much of this increased activity has fallen to the war minerals investigation branch of the bureau of mines, provided for by special congressional appropriation. Under Un-der this branch most of the special war activities have been grouped. Engineers Are Prompt. In the fieM of actual minint,' and milling numerous field engineers have been active, and the policy lias been adopted of having these men afford immediate help in the way of advice as to correct mining and milling: methods, whern this advice is needeu, and also reardin. alt other mining min-ing and marketing problems. A gre:t t volume of work has been done along thr-se lines, whmh has made for greater efficiency in production and which is not intended to form part of any special etudy or memoir. In the various bureau of mines experiment experi-ment stations special problems of ore treatment have been and are under investigation. in-vestigation. Satisfactory experiments In the concentration of the western chrome ores have been made ar Seattle, and experiments ex-periments on the neit Texas sulphur ores show their probable amena bility to the flotation method. These are only examples ex-amples of numerous investigations on milling methods, which cover manganese, graphite and other war minerals. Aid for Furnaces. Laboratory investigation with the view of Increasing The supply nf electrodes so ap to make them available for wet-te-n electric furnaces are under way in Colorado. Colo-rado. The subject of the production of rhromite has been thoroughly Investigated by field parties in all parts of the country, coun-try, and in addition the bureau ot mlm s' engineers have n t-Ftieated Newfounl-land Newfounl-land and Cuba, the la; ter in conjunction with the United States geological survey. sur-vey. The war mfnera's investigation organization organi-zation has provided for hanriilnc the aues-ttons aues-ttons of priorities, rxvh f railroad transportation trans-portation and of supplies and fue and a verv large number of a p plica lions have been handled. The bureau has aho had to act as adv'.pT to the railroad administration adminis-tration as to the construction of shcrt Uneq designed to tap mines, the prohb-m being as to whether such construction was a war nectts:ty or could be postponed. Valuable Advice Given. Similarly, the buri.au of mires has acted as p.dv;se- in mirir c matters to other government prc:mis-i;ioi.s. It has a.U'd as the advising engineer of the capital issues is-sues committee i'f the war finance corporation cor-poration us to whether proposed issues f mininc stock ere eF'mtial to . arry-Ing arry-Ing on the war. or could be postponed, I It has aKo worked In co-operation with i and acted as adviser to the t ar industries indus-tries board, epeciallv !n certain matters. s.:ch as pyvlle, sui:th'.:r and sulvhuric acbi. ti.ncs:en. etc., and In t.ie decisions and measures taken by the board on -these iubjects it has j laye 1 an important pari. The bureau has in so-r e c.tFrs u :,der-taken :,der-taken the J ! ff icu'.t problem of Iv. gh v.v.y construction where this was nVssai-y as the outlet for Important war m Ineral, and in th raf of th.- In porta nt dis--o.--rifs of chroinlte in Siskiyou county. California, Cali-fornia, the efforts of the bureau, work-irg work-irg 1 1: rough the forfst service, the of 'Ice of Public r-ads, i!;e loci county government govern-ment nnd t!i or.ri!o-s ther st-Ives. sl.. c'vled in promptU- Kta-tii-c the construc-tkm construc-tkm of the ncces.irv highwav. t Helps in Labor Troubles. The labor section of the w .t nune-ats-!nve;tIgation !uis proved a useful undertaking under-taking and is co-operating with the ce-partment ce-partment of lainr. and in general handles han-dles the whole subject of mining 'abor in th-it connection. In many caes labor difficulties to which important war mines were submitted us a result of unfair laNr com petition have been relieved, and !p general the measures tnken by tlie United females employment service to allocate unskilled un-skilled labor have- boon directed, as re-garde re-garde m::ilnc labor, In Mich vay ns to bring about the maximum eifici.-ncy. Co- i operation with the war department Pas 1 also been undertaken, supplying e 'assifi- I nation of the min hip men accord. ng to' their work ns a basis for deferred class!- f ieation. and co-operating with the war! department and the man-rower commit- I tee of the department of labor in seeing j that the mining industry Is- induced to maintain maximum production, A a result of the Investigations of the I'uroau Jis to the dancers which threaten .product Ion of w r ma tc rials, fcVcre l:ry .T.nne has written to Chairman kltehlii f ihp ways and means committee recom- ! mendunr that tlie excess profit? tax ho .suspended In tlie case of ihn?e mines pro- I ducing a war essential jutil special in- I jlailutions juit In for that purpose should bf Hmnrtiri d. and this recommendation has been universally approved of by those I In posses.slun of the facts. I |