A GENERAL NEWSPAFEX DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA t iy AN ATTAINMENT OF THE LARGEST GENERAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA Patton Courier, Established Oct. 1893 VOL ¢ 51. NO. 2%. PATTON, PENNSYLVANIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1944. SUBSCRIPTION $2.60 PER YEAR CONGRESS GETS | THREE PER CENT OF NEW COAL BILLS NATION'S COAL NOW ru ane nes on MINED IN CAMBRIA late the bituminous coal industry, in- | cluding fixing of prices, was submit- | ted to Congress last Thursday with | the indorsemeht of hoth operators | and miners. | Ss Sms on | Patterned on the controversial Guf- | War time shortages have been eas- | fey Coal Act which expired last year | Cambria county ed in many basic commodities, such | identical bills were introduced in the |than 13 per cent of the coal mined as teel, aluminum and copper, to|House by five representatives, Sim-|in FFennsylvania and more than three the point where manufacturer of |ilar measures were introduced in the | | per cent of the bituminous output peacetime products can be discussed, ! Senate on Monday. | of the entire nation during the past but the tightest and most basic of] Simultaneously, the coal produc- | year, it was announced last Friday shortages is still to come, writes Ro- | ers’ committee, which said it repre- night by W. Garfield ‘Thomas, state bert Taylor, Washington correspond- | sented 72 per cent of the commercial | deputy secretary of mines, in an ad- ent of the Pittsburgh Press, who! bituminous coal production, and the | cresc before the KEbensburg Council goes on to say: | United Mine Workers of America, is- | of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety As- The question is whether the 15,- sued statements supporting the legis- | sociation in the court house. 000 coal mines of the nation can turn laton. | Citing figures just compiled by out in the next 12 months, the rec- The bill would create a five-man | the State Lepartment of Mines, De- ord high requirements of the war | national bituminous coal commission | PUty Secretary Thomas stated that production program and the civilian | which would have power to fix min- | Cambria County produced 18,500,000 population, with a record low num- | imum prices and to advise the Office | tons of coal during the year, compar- ber of miners. of Price Administration regarding |€ to 139,800,000 produced in the en- Coal is the starting point of pro- maximum prices. If OPA becobes in- | !\:¢ state and 589,000,000 tons mined duction. Demand for it increases al-| operative the commission then would |" the United States. : most exactly with any increase in in- | control maximum prices, too. | Pennsylvania's accident record was dustrial activity. It supplies most of The authors declared the chief pur- | far better than the average of the the energy for manufacturing, it's Secretary Thomas revealed. COAL PRODUCTION CRISIS IS PICTURED FOR COMING YEAR Most All of War Production Is Based on Supply of Fuel Brought Above Surface County Also Produces Per Cent of the Total Penn- sylvania Output, lige | Nation : : pose of the measure was to stabilize | ? ip TR essential to steel making, and its by- | the coal industry. They add that | A total of 785,340 tons of coal were products go into aviation gasoline, | yhie the bill was designed to restrict | [7ined in state operations for every explosives and other indispensables of 1 £ t 5 1 | mined per fatal accident in the min- Last year, even with four strikes, Tot curled] frog oD torprise ge generay |es of the country. the coal mines turned out the record Deputy Secretary Thomas also re- auction of 589 million tons, nine nail fits ce which is endeavoring to have the fewer men, This year the goal is | aniount of explosives that can be us- 620 million tons. MANY TAXPAYERS ed per shot raised from one and one- That amount of coal would provide | j alt pounds to three pounds. A state i i 4 f 1, 650 pe persons have paid | that can be used in each shot and services, industry, by-product plants, A total o utilities, ir EE with | their delinquent property taxes for | this was termed inadequate by the enough for home heating to provide! 930 and 1939 as the result of a let- | state mine official. th and his staff. | the Mildred Supply Company, Rev- n for all the warnings |@asurer Roy B. Griffi Mildr PPly pany, an os 1 Washington Tig) total of 2,599 letters were written } Toc, stated that improvements made the coal situation is that 1944 pro- | bY Mr. Griffith's office personnel to in | explosives used in mining have | taxes for the two years, advising| He said that accidents resultig that goal. That means pinching somewhere and its likely to them that a treasurer's sale would be | | from explosives have been curtailed : of | held on LAR il 28th &ngithat they still | more than any other kind of mining “cut-throat competition,” it would | fatglity compared to 471,000 tons war. | vealed that he 1s heading a commie- niillion tons more than in 1042, with for needs of the armed forces and | [law limits the amount of explosives a minimum of comfort. j ter writing campaign by County Tre- | Sheldon Jones, mining engineer of duction is certain to be 20 million Persons who were delinquent. in their | gided greatly in reducing aceidents. nd LE « in ish Mrs, Mary Lambert, state pa | 1c instructor of the V. F. W. Liar y, last Thursday evening Na new officers of the auxiliary of Lew- |is E. BelcHer post, V. F. W.| at Bar- | nesboro. She was assisted by Mrs. | Thes . tickplies now average 28 | days supply which is a dangerously | low level. A three weeks supply is | considered a minimum to cushion in-! dustry against dislocations. | Central Pennsylvania coal opera- | The critical period in coal produc- jog hail the change In The Seisetive tion Is starting row. During the warm | S°Tvice Ties Wilen Wi: delay the in. ; SE . Sie. 5 3 duction of men 26 years old and over months mining will continue at full ! v it ; ; i a gix- | for the loss of manpower in the mine capacity—with most mines on a Six L778: hus eft. mtoreTored Soith day week—in an effort to build up| li€!CS nas seriously mie IS) mn stock piles against the winter need. | their efforts to maintain production This is the background for the se- | and reach the district's quota of coal. | ary rious view both the Solid Fuels Ad-| W. A. Jones, secretary of the Cen-| iq on Thursday evening. ministration and the coal industry tral Pennsylvania Coal Producers'| — are taking at the imminent draft of Asmation, said yesterday thai Hes Bakerton Pastor Ordained. the youngest and most productive mi- employed in a ‘Rupervisory capacity Rev. Robert H. Karalfa, now. ser- ners, in the under-26 age group. | and others holding what are rated as There are between 392,000 and|Key positions have received defer- 45,000 soft coal miners in the nation. | ment, but these men do not dig any Since the start of the war mining has coal. lost 75,000 men to the armed forces| ‘What we urgently require is men | and other jobs and continues to lose | who can dig coal,” Mr. Jones said. | them at the rate of 2600 to 2800 mon- | He rated coal mining as one of the | thiy. About half are replaced. | most important “war supporting ac- | Ccal mining is not one of the ac- | | tivities.” These activities were not tivities for which men under 26 may | | clearly defined heretofore and it has | be deferred, under the current draft | been confusing to both draft officials | rules, but the Selective Service Sys- and registrants. tem by quick action last week, made| A great many of the mines are oi it possible for the mines to keep the | undermanned and it’s being more and | best of the youngest miners in the | more difficult to get men to take the | areas where they are most needed. |place of those who have been induc- Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Harshey an-|ted. With a lessening of a demand for | The regular meeting of Patton nounced miners under 22 will be pro- | coal for domestic consumption, the Borough Councii was held April 14, [ cessed for induction as rapidly as is|coal operators will concentrate on | {and was called to order by President possible after May 1, but he adv ised | | the requirements of industry and of | Ott. Members present—McLaughlin, state directors they may approve spe- | transportation during the spring and | Yahner, Zahursky, Rogers and Dix- cial deferments for miners 22 thru | summer months and also make an|on; also Burgess Louis A. Haluska. 25, with three years or more eiper-{sifort to build up stock piles for em- | Mr. Mike Molnar reported an un- ience on their jobs. |eraenetes, | sanitary condition that existed in an What this means in Pennsylvania, —_—— | alley off Third avenue, in the form of where 99,000 soft coal miners now | { BAKERTON TOT IS | an open ditch, approximately 18 feet work, is an immediate loss of more | | long, with dirty water runnig through than 1000 miners—at 1500 tons per | STRUCK BY TRUCK it. He stated that he would do the year per man, a loss of some 1i; mil- | | work of closing it if Council would lion tons of production if the miners | | furnish the pipe. After consideration, are not replaced. led a coal truck into him unaware] [it was properly voted that council To save another 4% million tons it| 4p + yo was standing at the rear of | furnish the necessary 12 inch pipe will be necessary to get deferments |; velLicle. |and Mr. Molnar do the work, and for 3000 experienced miners aged 22| = p pert Yeaglin, five year old son | take in exchange for the 12 inch pipe to 26. - |of Elmer Yeaglin, of Bakerton, ac-| furnished, 8 ft. of 10 inch pipe that Miners in some sections have Ob-|.,hanjed his father on a coal deliv-| is there now. jected to company efforts to get them {ery. He left the cab without his fa-| The Borough truck driver and util- to stay on the job, instead of joining | tyes knowledge and walked to the |ity man reported that he had passed the armed forces. The coal situation |... of the truck where he was |his examination for the Navy and de- now is such that it's up to industry, stick when the vehicle backed up | Sired to know if his job would be op- the Government, the draft system and’ t, ynjoad. He was admitted to the en upon his return from service, It the individual miner, whether he | Spangler hospital where he is suf- | was voted that as long as the pres- ought to shoulder a gun or fuel the |fering of a chest injury. His condi-| ent council has any jurisdiction in engines of war. Either way he’s the [tion js described as fair. |the matter, his job would be open, mest important man in the manpow- | Vv. but stated that they could mot act er problem. v | SHORTENING LIFTED | for any future council. Le Tc Fh Tn nq Minutes of last regular and special SOLDIER IS CLEARED | FROM EATION LIST | meetings were read and approved. IN WARDEN’S DEATH| pice AdiiiBteiratos Chester Bow-| The following resolution was pass- Pvt. James O'Donnell, Blandburg, | jes has announced that beginning on|€d unanimously by Council: was exonerated of all blame in con- | Monday of this week shortening and | Resolution. nection with the death of Henry Co- | raticned salad and cooking oils will | “And now, April 14, 1944, all mem- ady, 67 year old Bellwood air-raid po point free. [pois being duly present at a meeting warden, by a coroners jury. Coady| The point value of these fats has | of the Council of the Borough of Pat- was killed during last Thursday ev-| been four red points per pound. Lard | ton, Mr, John A. Dixon, a member of ening’s blackout when he was struck | previously had been reduced to zero | Ceuncil, offered the following reso- by a car operated by O'Donnell. The| points because of plentiful supplies. | lution: warden was struck while-attempting| Butter and margarine are not af-| “Be it resolved, that the members to cross a street in Bellwood. fected by the action. | of the Patton Borough Council here- - Cambria county. Mrs. Alice Strollo, reelected president, nesboro Auxiliary, 35 members. which now enrolls It was organized Janu- | thodist church, last Friday was ad-| mitted to membership “on trial” for! nia Conference of the Methodist | deacon at services on Saturday at| | Altoona. A Bakerton tot was injured Fri-| day afternoon when his father back- Thirteen | produced more tated hat the /type x Rachel Wilson, deputy inspector of | heads the Bar-| 8th. One new member was ini- | ving the Bakerton charge of the Me- | two years in the Central Pennsylva- | Church, He received ordination for | ready are requesting help and places | was will of hand bills to be distributed. KORTZ NAMED AS SECRETARY OF THE COUNTY DEMOCRATS | Encaetbooro Man Will Serve Dur- | ing Tenure of Bruce Lycar- ger in the Service. Trkomas V. Kortz, Barnesboro, as- sistant cashier of the Spangler Na- tional Bank, and prominent North- ern Cambria County Democratic lea- der, Tuesday was appointed secretary Committee. County Chairman John R. Torqua- to appointed Mr. Kortz to succeed Bruce Lybarger of Vintondale, who entered the armed forces. Mr. Kortz wili serve in that capacity only dur- ing Mr, Chairman Torquato named Kortz lo the important position after he had been approved by other mem- bers of the committee and hy district chairmen throughout the county. Mr. Kortz has been serving as a Democratic committeeman in Barnes- boro for the last 14 years. Prior to that time he was active in Democra- tic politics. The new secretary also is secretary of the Pclish Federation of Cambria county. In accepting the position Mr. Kortz said he would cooperate with the or- ganization and would support all of didates at next Tuesday's primary election. The committee has been booming Robert Clark, Johnstown, as the party’s candidate for the Demo- cratic pomination for congressman from the district. OFFICE OPENED FOR FARM LABOR ilization werk in Cambria county have: heen established in the second ele- or before the | spring ta begins. The govern ‘ment is asking for an increase of 220,000 acres in grain over the am- | ount grown last year. James Farabaugh is in charge of the farm labor office and Ars: py [McClain of Ebensburg is se for the organization. Mr. ey reports that there will be a limited !number of farm laborers imported from Newfoundland this summer and any farmers wishing to hire this, or any other type of farm labor, should get in touch with his office at once. The laborers from Newfoundland will | be given a short training course at Pennsylvania State College before | they are sent to farms in this state. | Mr. Farabaugh also is ready to re- | ceive applications for employment | from boys and girls or men and wo men who are going to be available] for farm work, Many farmers al-| | will be available immediately for Nese who register now. by declare themselves unalterably op- (97- vear-old David Plowman, pesed to any and all delinquent tax | of the Cambria County Democratic | Lybarger’s tenure in service, | the county committee's indorsed can- | Heallguarters for fas for farm labor mob- | YANSSENS GETS DEMAND IS MADE BY DEMOGRAT POST LEWIS FOR PORTAL TO Ernest Yanssens, Cre Cresson, Cambria county organizer of the United Mine Workers of America, Tuesday was appointed chairman of the labor ad- visory committee of the Cambria Co. Democratic Committee, John R. Torquato, chairman of the county Democratic organization, ap- pcinted Yanssens to succeed Louis tivans, Colver, former U. M. W. or- ganizer, who entered the armed for- ces. Mr. Yanssens will serve on the committee with Eugene Maurice, ex- i ecutive director of District ted Steel Workers of Yanssens has been ing circles for a number of years and has been interested in the Democrat- ic party for many years. He declared on Tuesday night that he feels the 26th Congressional district should be America 12, Uni- | active in min- | represented in Washington by a Dem- | ocratic congressman who will lock out for the interests of labor and or the servicemen, both during war time and after the gonilict FOUR MINE EXAM PORTAL WAGE CLAIMS Retroactive Stipends Must Be Paid Now, Mine Workers’ President Asserts, President John L. Lewis of the United Mine Workers of America, as- serted last Friday night that bitum- inous coal miners were victims of a “conspiracy to defraud” them of $18,- 000,000 due as a retroactive settle- ment of their portal-to-portal wage claims. His charge was contained in a let- ter to coal administrator Harold L. Ickes and made public by the U. M. W. He demanded immediate payment of the money. Lewis said the miners ‘‘could not understand why the government per- mitted the political malice of the War {| Labor Board and the cupidity of the SITES ARE CHOSEN Examinations for certification for | positions of mine foremen, assistant foremen, electricians and firebosses will be held in four areas ¢n June 1 and 2, it was announced Tuesday by | Richard Maize, | department of mines. Johnstown, Windber, Indiana and {12 examining centers for the exam- jU. M. W, Southern coal operators to rob them of the right to receive the wages they have earned.” The basis of the complaint was the union demand for $40 per miner, which it has sought to settle retro- active claims for April, May and June of 1943. A provision for that rayment contained in an agreement with Illinois operators was approved by the WLB Oct. 26, 1943, and a sim- ilar clause was incorporated in the contract with 70 per cent of the soft coal industry now await- secretary of the state | inations 3 in the bitu- inations 10 be conducted In the bits | erators and the War Labor Board are | minous coal region. Secretary Maize said that it was | | decided to follow the same procedure las last year in holding the examina- | tions in June instead of April, “be- cause many mine classes are finish- [ed the latter part of May. e aasaminations to qualify for the | persons a the tests last year were successful, Secretary Maize de- |Clared that there is a current short- |age of second-grade foremen quali- ified to work in small or non-gaseous | a | | mines. He added that the'is a fairly |v had become so insistent in Ala- ample supply of officials in other [<ategories, LEGION WiLL HOLD MEMORIAL RITES Arrangements for the annual im- and colorful memorial ser- vices of the Cambria County Amer- ican Legion Committee to be held on | Sunday, May 28th, in Fbensburg, | were outlined at a meeting of the | committee on Tuesday night in Gall- |itzin American Legion Home. Comm. S. T. Cawley said the ser- {vice this year will be conducted on | the same large scale as in previous | years with all posts in the county | taking part. A committee to com- plete plans for the services will be ~ | appointed within the next few weeks. It was announced during the meet- pressive Patton Council is to Protest Low (ing that the membership of the coun- ty organization has reached a total] Delinquent Tax Compromises | Guest of honor at the meeting was | 3,033—the highest in the history the organization. | creasingly angry at the failure ing WLB action, Lewis told Ickes that the payment had been guaranteed by President | Barnesboro will serve as four of the | voosevelt, the WLB, Ickes and the {mine operators. He charged that “certain groups of southern coal op- incenspiracy to continuously delay and void the payment of this guar- anteed back wage claim.” “The mine workers are shocked and humiliated and are becoming in- of | Several hundred* miners of the dis- i their government to redeem their pro- e Law building, opposite | trict are expected to participate in| th mise,” he said. He charged that the coal cperators had collected the 18,000,000 from authorized by tne ‘government and ‘had used the miners’ money instead of their own corporate funas as op- erating cash. The union's statement said that the rank and file demand for back | bama that District President William Mitch had distributed a circular last month urging the men to remain at work while the union pressed for an immediate settlement. Some bituminous operators have become complacent with gov- ernment operation of the coal mines. They think it is a swell opportunity to soak the government through the court of claims for real and imagin- coal | ary damages and to retain the $18,- | 000.000 retroactive pay of the min- ers,” the statement continued. “As matters stand, it looks as though government operation of the {claim to payment of the $40 | temporarily when Gallit- | zin, Cambria county's last surviving | ccmprontises where the person mak- | veteran of the Civil War. ing the offer of compromise with the | County Commissioners of Cambria | County does not offer at least the full | amount of the delinquent taxes, ex-| cluding interest and penalties. “And it is further resolved that in| all such cases where the full amount | of the taxes has not been offered to] the County Commissioners of Cam- | bria County or the Court, by the per- | son seeking to redeem or purchase | the property against which the de- linquent taxes have been returned, the Chief Clerk of the Borough of Patton, acting by himself, or through the Borough Solicitor, shall file a protest with the County Commiss- icners and the Court urging that the said compromise be rejected. | This resolution to be in effect forthwith.” Mr. Albert Yahner seconded the motion and the resolution, upon vote being taken, was unanimously car- ried, The tax collector's report for the month of March in the amount of $105.05 was read and same deposit- ed in the Borough Depository. An application for borough truck driver was read and it was voted to put it on file for future determina- tion. It was voted to have the Firemen wash the same streets as last year, to prepare them for spring painting. The Fire Chief, Mr. James Blake, resent at the meeting and more heard of his visit, in the form lsaid that two of the crew were kill- |ed and the others, The next meeting of the county coal operations is indefinite. The WLE has interned the bituminous coal contract while they quibble ov- er four or five minutes’ additional travel time.” The U. M. W. cited a statement Mr. Roosevelt pledging that any wage adjustment would be retroac- tive to April 1, 1943, and also re- called the WLB decision in the Illi- nois case. It said it had waived its only the government contract was signed in November and that it presumed the mines would be released 90 days later to private | management. committee will be held Tuesday, May | ; | would be approved immediately by 16, in the Conemaugh-Franklin Am- erican Legion Home. FALLENTIMBER LIEUT. HAS NARROW ESCAPE rr——— | Li. Clarence E. Grimes, son of Mrs. | Frank Grimes of Fallentimber, had | a bombardier crashed while In a letter to his mother the flier including himself, injured and most of the crew- Lt. them were men were knocked unconscious. Grimes helped to extricate from the wreckage. The officer said it was only thro- ugh the Grace of God that they were not all killed, explaining that the ship was only 150 feet off the ground when it went out of control and crashed. Although the wreckage of the plane was scattered over an area of 100 yards the bombs did not ex- plode. _— ye Federal Judge Nelson McVicar, of Pittsburgh, Tuesday reappoined C. Randolph Myers of Ebensburg, ref- erce in bankruptcy for Cambria, In- diana, Armstrong, Clearfield, Somer- set, Bedford, Butler and Greene counties. The appointment is for a {a narrow escape from death recently | {in Italy when the bomber on which (he was |loaded with tons of fused bombs. two year term. { the WLB, the U. The minous contract signed De union assumed that the bitu- c. 11, 1943, M. W. said, because | it represented a continuance of the | government contract: INFANTS BORN IN SAME NIGHT TO SISTERS Mrs. Louise DeMarco, of and Mrs. Thomas Weible, of Aspin- wall, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. El- mer Bradley, of Portage R. D., gave birth to infants a few hours apart recently and are sharing a room in City Hospital, Pittsburgh. Mrs. DeMarco is the wife of Staff Sgt. Louis DeMarco, stationed at Col- umbus, Ohio. She formerly was Mary Bradley. Her child, the first born to the serviceman and his wife was na- med Eleanor Thereasa.* Patricia Ann the new infant, is the sixth child of Mr. and Mrs. Weible. Mrs. Weible formerly was Ella Marie Bradley. Mrs Elmer Bradley, grandmother of the infants is a teacher in Cress- on township. RN Bakerton Boy Injured, Anthony Vanscovich, seven year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Vanscovich of Bakerton, suffered an injury to his left arm on Friday ev- ening when he fell from a fence on which he was walking. He was taken to the Spangler hospital where he was treated for lacerations of the Cresson, arm, sale of 2. “jvanced, prices ER
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers