Show Efforts Made Made To Help Mines Mines I STATEMENT OF GEORGE GEOUGE W. W HAYCOCK UNITED UNITE STEELWORKERS OF 01 A AMERICA I BEFORE TilE THE COMMITTEE CO ON WAYS ANn AND MEANS NS HOUSE OF MAY lAY 15 1933 1953 My name is la George W W. Haycock I am ama a sub-district sub director of ot the United Steelworkers of America The principal Jurisdiction of my office Includes Utah and Nevada On my left is Matt Leahy president of the Local Union in n Park City Utah on my right Is Henry Wall financial secretary of the Local Union in Eureka Utah I want to thank the members of this Committee for the opportunity of presenting presenting presenting pre pre- evidence to you concerning the problems of the people working in the lead and zinc industry in connection with your consideration of at H H. H R. R My testimony generally will be limited to problems covered by the lead and zinc provisions of H. H R R. R and our I In this Industry In Utah where Iwas I 1 Iwas was born and have lived all my life At the outset I want to say that the I insecurity of people in Utah connected directly or Indirectly with the mining of non ferrous metals especially lead and zinc has now reached such proportions that unless ad adequate quate Immediate relief is forthcoming in one way or another they will have to try to seek other emI employment em- em I Unfortunately such other employment employment employment em- em Is not available in n the vicinity of these mines and the only alternative would be a mass migration after years of living in this area Although this I I condition Is most serious in our particular parti I cular area it exists in virtually all of the lead and zinc mining and smelting in the United States I i Attached to this statement of at mine mineI I are a number of letters and other communications from a cross croas section ol ot I the people In this area regarding the problem I should shoula like to quote from afew a afew few tew of these I The county attorney of ot Wasatch I County Utah has this to say I I Wasatch County has a population ol oj slightly over people In times ol of full tull operation of the mines In to this area I I Continued on Page Two I I Efforts Made lade i iTo To ro Help Mines ft It from front Pan Page One there r. r are about three hundred Wasatch County men employed at the Park Utah I I I I I I I mine at Keetley Utah One hundred twenty five Wasatch County men emI employed em em- at the New Park mine at Keetley Utah and about one hundred men emI employed employed em- em at the Silver Sliver King mine at Park City Utah At present the Park Utah and Silver King mines are closed down This has deprived about four hundred Wa Wasatch atch County men of employment for fora fora a a period of many months and I assume unless something is done to buttress the metals prices structure this unemployment unemployment unemployment will continue Indefinitely Inthe in inthe the future The total effect of the present lead- lead zinc price structure Is le that between one- one fourth and one-fifth one of the present working population of the county has been deprived of employment The future fu fu- l fu-l I Iture ture potential effect of this upon our I I tax revenues employment and the en entire entire entire en- en I tire financial condition of or the county Is most serious For those reasons we are deeply concerned over the present lead lead- I prices and most anxious for steps to be taken to Improve this situation The Mayor of Park City Utah states I Park City Council in regular session assembled this day of April 1953 latter after approximately twelve months of shutdown by our major mining companies companies companies com com- namely the Sliver Silver King Coalition Mines 1 Co and the Park Utah Consolidated Consolidated Consoli Consoli- dated Mines Co has placed this com com- community community community in dire circumstances from an anI I economic point of view Today we have approximately 1000 persons persona who have been dependent upon mining directly or indirectly in this community We wish to call your attention to the I fact that the unemployment compensation I tion that has ha been payable to these men by our Utah Law has just about come to toan toan I j an end and aDd many of ot our fine citizens aro are arc it necessary to apply for lor direct welfare Also I wish to call your attention to the fact that many of our local business businessmen businessmen businessmen men have bave carried many of these fine people on their books pending and hoping for a hope that seems dim and dismal Insofar as aa mining Is concerned We wish further to call your attention that mining and mining communities In general seem to have one definite road that road Is 18 as ag history has pointed out when mining reaches Its economic bottom bottom bottom bot bot- tom the communities revert to ghost camps which this great West Is generI generally generally gener gener- ally spotted with We of this mining I community are of the opinion that as mining goes so goes the nation Today I however we feel and know that the great organized system of foreign I Imports ports of 01 lead and zinc is the cause of this communities present dilemma To be continued next week |