War Manpower Commission Program for
Increase of Production of
Strategic Mica in North Carolina
FOR A FURTHER EXPLANATION OF THIS PROGRAM, GO TO THE NEAREST LOCAL OFFICE OF THE UNITED1 STATES EM
PLOYMENT SERVICE OF THE WAR MANPOWER COMMISSION.
Recognizing the extreme Importance of strategic mica In
the furthtionce of the war effort, and recognizing that the
greater part of the availabble supply of domestic mica is lo
cated in North Carolina, representatives of the following
agencies or organizations have adopted the program set forth
below, to be carried out by them Jointly, for the increased
productivity of strategic mica:
United States Government: War Manpower Commission;
Colonial Mica Corporation; War Production Board; War La
bor Board, Selective Service System; Labor Branch, 4th Ser
vice Command, United States Army; Office of Price Admlnls- .
tratlon.
Private Industry: May land Mining and Milling Associa
tion.
Much has already been done to improve conditions and
to Increase production. These are a few of the steps which
have been taken:
(1) Organization, by the War Production Board, and
Metals Reserve Co., of the Colonial Mica Corporation, an
agency of the U. 8. Oovernmeht. Colonial Mica was set up to
act as. purchasing agent of strategic mica for the govern
ment, and to encourage production by arranging for loans
repayable out of the proceeds of the mine; to facilitate the
securing of necessary equipment and priorities for its lease
or purchase; and to further assist mica mine operators In
operation.
(2) This and other organizations have made efforts
which have resulted In the simplification of procedures for
pre-employment physical examinations required for insurance
purposes; securing rubber boots and other small equipment
for workers, encouraging the occupational deferment of mica
workers; and obtaining a substantial Increase in the price
paid for mica.
The following additional action will become effective In
the State of North Carolina at 12:00 noon, on Oct. 1, 1943:
(1) Designation of ail Surface and Underground Mica
Operations as "Critical Occupations."
All surface and underground mica mining and process
ing operations shall hereafter be considered as "critical occu
pations", under the policies and procedures governing the
operation of the War Manpower Commission in the State of
North Carolina No person may be hired by any employer for
work In the mica Industry except through the nearest office
of the United States Employment Service of the War Man
power Commission Full records of all hires and discharges
will be maintained for each employer In that office.
However, It is recognized that this would, work a hard
ship on certain employers whose operations are located some
distance from the nearest local office of the United States
Employment Service. Therefore, special arrangements may be
made by an operator with the manager of the United States
Employment Service local office, with the approval of the
Area Director for the War Manpower Commission for per
mission to make hires, in conformity with the rules, regula
tions, and policies of the War Manpower commission as set
out herein and elsewhere. This permission will be conditioned
on an immediate report of hires by the operator to the man
ager of the United States Employment Service local office.
Any employer found by the local office of the United
States Employment Service to be willfully violating this reg
ulation will be declared non-conforming, and his workers will
be recruited for employment In other mica operations.
2. Classification of Mica Mimes, in order of Productivity,
by War Production Board.
It Is recognized that there Is not enough available man
power to fully exploit the mica ore bodies in the State, and
that In spite of the most extreme efforts the production of
domestic mica will fall far short of meeting requirements.
Therefore, workers must be urged to accept employment In
those mines having the highest productivity per worker. In
ordef to achieve this aim, the War Production Board has ex
tended its Minerals Classification List to Include mica, and
has designated this a critical mineral. Each of 1,059 mica
mines now known to be in operation or In development In
the United States has been classified in one of three groups,
ranging _ from the most productive to the least productive,
and based on dollar value of production per worker employ
ed, regardless of the size of the operation. Thus a mine hav
ing high productivity of strategic mica and employing only
a few workers might be listed in Class I; whereas another
mine, employing many workers but producing a relatively
smaller amount of strategic mica, would be in Class II; and
a mine having low productivity per worker would be In
Class m.
The first list, dated October 1, includes 65 mines in Class
I; and 53 mines in Class n, along with all the 163 mines in
i
process of development, and certain rifting and trimming
shops. All other operations are in Class ni.
These lists will be revised each month, for the time be
ing, to meet changing conditions, and will be furnished to
all local offices of 'the United States Employment Service of
the War Manpower Commission, as well as to all local
boards of the Selective Service System in mica-producing
counties, and to other Interested governmental agencies.
USES?
(1) By the United States Employment Service of the
War Manpower Commission:
Available workers will be urged to accept employment in
mines included in Class I, before being offered jobs in Class
II operations; and in Class n before Class m. Only In ex
ceptional circumstances will a worker be referred to a Job
in a Class III operation, if there are labor shortages in Class
I or Class II operations In the area. If, however, a worker
has good reason for accepting employment only In a Class
III mine, he will be so referred, rather than to deny him an
opportunity to work in the mica Industry.
In exceptional cases, upon the recommendation of an
authorized representative of the War Production Board, the
Area Director of the War Manpower Commission may au
thorize referral of workers to a mine or mines in Class m,
where such referrals would enable the operator to increase
productivity to the point of qualifying for Class I or IL
Only in the most exceptional cases of extreme personal
hardship will a worker be given a statement of availability
to transfer from a Class I or n operation to a Class m
operation. ,
(2) Selective Service System:
Selective Service local boards in mica-producing counties
are being instructed to consult the local office of the United
States Employment Service of the War Manpower Commis
sion before reclassifying any worker employed in mica min
ing regardless of skill, and any worker employed as a mica
sheeter.
The United States Employment Service of the War Man
power Commission will recommend consideration for defer
ment for all workers in Class I and H operations. When the
name of a worker employed In a Class III operation is re
ferred to the local board to the United States Employment
Service, it will review the needs of Class I and n operations
within the area, and will offer the worker employment in
such an operation, where he is needed. If after 30 days the
worker has failed to make a transfer, when he oould do so
without undue hardship to himself or to his dependents, he
will not be given consideration for occupational deferment.
If, however, there are no Class I or n operations in the
local office area, or If such operations have no labor needs,
the local office of the United States Employment Service of
the War Manpower Commission will recommend considera
tion for deferment for workers In Class in operations.
The determination of "undue personal hardship" will be
made by the War Manpower Commission Area Director, after
a full Investigation of all facts by the local office of the
United States Employment Service of the War Manpower
Commission, and will be reviewed by the Selective Service
local board.
(3) Forty-Eight Hour Week:
In order to expedite the production of strategic mica and
to reduce labor requirements by insuring maximum utilisa
tion of workers in this Industry, the War Manpower Director
for Region IV, which include* North Carolina, has declared
that on and after October 1, 1043, all mica mining, Includ
ing developmental work and milling, but excluding the sheet
ing, trimming, and grading of "sheet" mica, shall operate on
a wartime work week of not less than 48 hours. If an excep
tion is necessary, application should be filed with the War
Manpower Commission State Director before. October 1,
through the nearest local office of the United States Em
ployment Service of the War Manpower Commission
This order does not require the extension Of the work
week of individuals who, on account of other employment
or physical limitations, are not available for full-time work.
However, notice of the employment of such part-time or
physically hadlcapped workers should be filed with the near
est local office of the United States Employment Service be
fore October 1, or as soon thereafter as possible.
?? *
It should be noted that workers must be paid time-and
a-half for all hours worked In excess of forty in any work
week.
(4) Wages:
(a) The War Manpower Commission has directed the
local offices of the United States Employment Service of the
War Manpower Commission to give a statement of avail
ability, upon request, to any mica worker who can show that
he is being paid less than 40c per hour, on the grounds of
sub-standard wages.
(b) A committee representing all interested groups is
being appointed to study the wage rates paid in the mica
industry, and to recommend a plan for action, to be present
ed to the War Labor Board for its approval. It is impossible
to recruit or hold a sufficient number of workers in the mica
industry under the present wage scale, since prevailing wages
in competing less critical industries in the area are much
higher. Therefore, operators are urged to cooperate with this
committeee and to assist in developing a plan for the pay
ment of wages at a rate which will encourage increased pro
duction, and to cut down absenteeism and turnover.
It is believed that development of a plan for the pay
ment of a bonus each week to workers who have worked a
full 48-hour week without any absenteeism would result in
greatly increased productivity, and would reduce the number
of workers needed to keep the mine going at top production.
Operators should give consideration to this suggestion, and
should discuss It further with state representatives of the
War Labor Board.
(5) Curtailment of Mining and Processing of Less
essential Minerals in Mica-producing Areas:
While It is Important, the production of feldspar is far
less critical now than the production of strategic mica.
Therefore, the War Production Board is urging all feldspar
operators located in mica-producing areas to undertake the
mining of strategic mica, and to curtail present operations
in feldspar.
Feldspar operators who are not willing or able to under
take the production of strategic mica have been advised by
the War Production Board to allow the recruitment of their
workers by the United States Employment Service of the War
Manpower Commission for employment in the production of
strategic mica. '
Through their National Association, the feldspar opera
tori In Western North Carolina have assured the War Pro
duction Board that they will do everything possible to co
operate in increasing the production of strategic mica. In
view of this assurance it is believed that no further action
will be necessary.
?) Appeals:
(a) An appeal may be made from any decision of the
War Manpower Commission under this program to the War
Manpower Commission Management-Labor Committee for the
State of North Carolina.
(b) An appeal may be filed with the Selective Service
Area Appeals Board from the decision of any local Selective
Service board.
(7) Employment of Prtaonem-of-War:
An extensive Investigation has resulted in the conclusion
that, because of the nature of the operations, prisoners-of
war cannot be utilized satisfactorily to relieve the manpower
shortage in the mica Industry.
(S) Information Campaign:
The Colonial Mica Corporation has planned and is now
patting into operation an extensive program to inform mica
workers and the general public of the part which mica is
playing in winning the war, and of its extreme importance.
This will Include efforts to reduce absenteeism and turnover
among workers, by showing them the essentiality of their
]ob on the home front. Without mica, no plane can fly? no
radio can operate.
Every operator is urged to give his full support to this
morale-building campaign, and to help by notifying workers
and members of the general public of the details of the pro-,
gram as soon as he is Informed by the representative of the
Colonial Mica Corporation.
(9) Additional Help to Operators:
While this industry Is small? in comparison to other in
dustries, there is nothing more necessary than increased pro
duction of strategic mica, if we are to win the war. The
Colonial Mica Corporation, a subsidiary of Metals Reserve
Company, is the representative of the United States Gov
ernment, established to help in every way possible to effect
this Increase. The representatives of all other governmental
agencies In mica-producing areas are at the service of mica
operators. You are urged to call on them for adviee and help.
This reprint of an order and regulation issued by government agencies, is inserted by the undersigned in support of the government program
FOR INCREASED MICA PRODUCTION FOR WAR REQUIREMENTS.
MASON B. STARRING, JR
New York, N. Y.
D. S. STARRING
New York, N. Y.
J. A. Siito, Vke-PrM.-Tre?*.
MINES MINERALS METALS, INC
New Fork
G. A. Jarman, Jr., P resident
SEPARATIONS ENGINEERING CORP,
New York, N. Y.
SAM TOUR, President, SAM TOUR, INC
Metallurgists
Manager, Minerals Division, Barium Stainless
Steel Corporation
FLOYD C. SNOW, Mineral Economist
Mining Operator, Franklin, N. C.