Show California Gold o Mining Industry Joins vans List is o of War Casualties By KATHERINE PINKHAM I SAN FRANCISCO Sept 2 UP jp California's California's a year gold sold mining industry is a war casualty Its rapid shrinkage shrinkage shrinkage shrink shrink- age bids bids fair to make shadow towns if not downright ghost cities in the storied Mother Lode country Records of the regional U. U S. S r bureau of mines show a monthly decrease of about in gold production from January 1911 1941 to last May Labor shortage priority restrictions and the fixed price of gold are causes The Argonaut mine at Jackson a marginal mine producing low grade ore has closed down The Central Eureka mine at Sutter Creek will close October 1 At Grass Valley the big Mary Idaho land mine which normally employs around 1000 men now is operating in ink ing with about The Empire North Star which had a payroll about the same size is now getting along with a skeleton crew of about Signs of Blight A visitor to the mountain counties counties counties coun coun- ties already can see signs of creeping creeping creeping creep creep- ing blight Restaurants have h a v e closed down Many a store front frontis is vacant A few foundries and machine shops are finding a little war work they can do but most of the permanent residents especially especially especially espe espe- elderly home owners are dipping into savings to keep go go- I ing Albert Knorp secretary of the California chapter American Mining Mining Mining Min Min- ing congress and of the Gold Producers Producers Producers Pro Pro- of California says there now are not many more than miners and muckers at work in the states state's gold mines Not a few are timers old-timers who have come out of retirement to take jobs deserted desert desert- desert I ed by younger men But shed no tears for the miners E E ar a yone one Got Work When the Carson Hill mining mill at Melones Melons near Sonora burned down la last t May every everyone one of the men thrown out of I work had at least one job offer by nightfall of the day after the fire Labor scouts from quicksilver ver and copper mines didn't get geta a man They went to higher paying paying paying pay pay- ing jobs in the shipyards or at I army cantonments or joined the fighting forces A A miner has ha a lot of skills sought after in war industries says Knorp He is a good man manat manat manat at almost anything except ing Mine operators say they cant can't compete in the labor market with war industries or those in which price rises have been sanctioned because of increased operating costs The industry's product has hasa I Ia a fixed price of 35 an ounce set by its only customer Uncle customer Uncle Sam Low Priority Rating Placer gold mining was given givena a priority rating la last t November so low that replacing machine parts is extremely difficult In March the favorable rating which other gold mining had held was withdrawn Mine operators realize this is isa isa isa a war necessity says Knorp Last May I went to the war production production production pro pro- board in Washington with witha a list of what the industry would require a list pared down to the bone and I was promised we would get everything they could possibly allow us I think we have had very reasonable treatment from the W P B ever since We feel it is important to keep the mines operating or at least in conditions to go to work after the war Gold will be the only strategic metal at the peace table |