EDITORIAL STAFF E. L. SlIANER
E d ito r-in -C h ie f E . C . Kr e u t z b e r c
E d ito r
Wm. M. Ro o n e y Ib w i n H . Su c h
News E d ito r E n g in ee rin g E d ito r
J. D . Kn o x Gu y Hu b b a b d
Steel Plant E d ito r M a c h in e T o o l E d ito r D o n S. C a d o t
A r t E d ito r
A S S O C I A T E E D IT O R S G. H. Ma n l o v e, W . J . Ca m p b e l l G. W. Bi r d s a l l, F . R . Bi u c c s, D . B . Wi l k i n
New York: B . K . Pr i c e, L . E . Br o w n e
Pittsburgh: R . L . Ha r t f o r d
Chicago: E . F . R o ss D etro it: A . H . Al l e n
W a sh in g to n : L . M . L a m m L o n d o n: V i n c e n t D e l p o b t
A S S I S T A N T E D IT O R S
J. C, S u l l i v a n , R . W . S i i e s t a g , J . M . W h e l a n , A. J. F i n c u l i n , V a n c e B e l l
E D IT O R IA L C O R R E S P O N D E N T S R. W . Ki n c e y L . C . Fe l d m a n
Birmingham, A la. B uffalo, N . Y.
George R . Re i s s Sa m u e l S . Ca r r
Youngstown, Q . C in c in n ati, O.
F . S . To b i n
T o ro n to , O n t.
Ma u r i c e Be a m
4453 Bel A ire D riv e , L a C a n a d a , C alif.
Ro b e r t Bo t t o r f f
415 B ush St., S an F ran c isco , C alif.
R . C . Hi l l
408 M ario n S t., S eattle, W ash.
BUSINESS STAFF
G. O . Ha y s
Business M anager
C. Ja e n k e C. H . Ba i l e y
hmrtising M anager A d v e rtisin g S ervice hm York, E . W . Kh e u t z b e b g, K . A . Zö l l n e r
Pittsburgh, S . H . Ja s p e r, B. C. Sn e l l
Chicago, L . C. Pe l o t t, V . W . Vo l k
Cleveland, D . C. Ki e f e r, H . G . Ro w l a n d
Los A n g eles, F . J. Fu l l e r J . W . Zu b e r
C ircu la tio n M anager
M A I N OFFICE
Penton B u ild in g , C le v ela n d 13, O hio
B R A N C H O F F IC E S
5™ Y°rk 1 7 ...16 E a s t 4 3 rd St.
‘‘“Bo 11 ...5 2 0 N o rth M ich ig an Ave.
m tir g h 19 ... 2 8 0 0 K oppers B u ild in g 2 ... 6 5 6 0 Cass Avc.
"«htngton 4 ... 9 5 6 N a tio n a l Press Bldg.
hcl"n‘d i 2 ... 2 0 3 0 C aresv T ow er a Angeles 4 . . . 13 0 N . N ew H a m p sh ire A ve.
on 2 C ax to n S t., W estm in ste r, S .W . 1
S f e ' c w i T !IE1 ,P iA'7.o n I’ u ^ . i s h i n c C o ., P e n to n cveland IT, O h io , E . L . S i i a n e r , P re s id e n t
■ ''¡m e e r-'n 'rS Ha y s. V ice P re s id e n ta n d G en era!
Ucb V l d ■?/ENKE< Y lce P r e s id e n t; F . G . S te i n e -
‘Ltsistiat T re asu re r?' S c c rc ta r^ E - L - W « » « . f c S e « ’ p “ d ' t B u r e a u o f C i r c u l a ti o n s ; A s s o c ia te d
■ 'N a tio n ’ aD d N a t i o n a l P u b l is h e r s ’ SutBarufCVery M o a d a y - S u b sc rip tio n in th e U n ited
"’-J South pr ssesf ,0 n s- C a n a d a , M exico, C u b a , C en tra]
uLercn,,!!, ■m crlca’ o n c T ear $ 6 ; tw o y e a rs $ 10; all inn«} 23c "p1 0 n c / e a r $12. S in g le copies (c u rre n t Kstoffire & i tc rf d ? s second class m a tte r a t th e 1S79
A
L ela n d , u n d e r th e A c t o f M a rc h 3, p y rig h t 194i by- th e P e n to n P u b lish in g Co.T h e M a g a z i n e a f M e t a l w o r k i n g a n d M e t a l p r o d u c i n g
V O L . 116. N o . 5 JA N U A R Y 29, 1945
*--- N E W S — ---
Civilian Goods O u tp u t U n d er Spot A uthorization T o B e L im ited 41 R ecord P ig Iro n P ro d u ctio n in 1944 ... 42 T o tal D ecem b er M unitions O u tp u t H ig h er, b u t U n d e r M onth’s Schedule ’ . 43 A djustm ent in W arehouse S teel P rices D e l a y e d ... 44 R oad B uilders D iscuss P o stw ar C onstruction Prospects ... 45 N ational In d u strial C onference B oard D iscusses G u aran teed A nnual W ag e 46 N ational Service L egislation T ak in g S hape ... 47 W allace N om ination A rouses C o n tr o v e r s y ... 43 O nly T w o M eetings W in A pproval of W a r C om m ittee o n C onventions . . . . 49 Senate D e b a tin g M erits of “F u ll E m p lo y m en t Bill o f 1945” ... 53 Steel L ead ers Ask fo r C oal W ag e P arley N o w ... 54
--- T E C H N IC A L ---
C asting S u p erch arg er B uckets a t A llis-C halm ers ... 72 Lost w ax’ method, accurately produces parts o f intricate design
C ontinuous H e a t T re a tm e n t o f S tan d ard an d Special F asten ers ... 77 A u to m a tic tem perature controls m in im ize in d ivid u a l furnace attention
R ecen t D evelopm ents in F o rg in g P ractices 78
S eco n d article in series presents data on tools, e q u ip m e n t a n d techniques P h en o m en al Progress M ad e in In d u c tio n H e a tin g ... 81
H ig h freq u en cy heating becom es m etalw orking tool o f first im portance C oking U ta h C oal in Pacific C oast B y-P roduct O v e n s ... 84
Costs o f 800-m ile ha u l offset b y efficiencies in production
C arbon D ioxide E xtinguishing System s P ro v id e S afety in D e g r e a s i n g 92 U nits form integral part o f autom atic m ass-production m achines
FEATURES
As th e E d ito r V iew s th e N ew s . . 37 O bituaries ... . . 62
P o stw ar Preview s . . 49 64
W indow s of W ashington 50 In d u stria l A c tiv i ti e s ... . . 68 W PB -O PA O rders ... 55 T h e Business T ren d ... . . 70 M irrors of M otordom 57 In d u stria l E q u ip m e n t ... . . 102 M en o f I n d u s t r y ... 60 C onstruction an d E n terp rise '. .. . 148
--- M A R K E T S ---
W a r Steel N eeds M aintain D em an d F a r In to F u tu re ... 127 M ark et P rices a n d C om posites ... J28 I n d e x to a d v e r t i s e r s ... 455
N E X T W E E K . . .
Boeing Brings O u t N ew S u p er C argo an d T roop T ran sp o rt H igh-P roduction M achine Tools a t W rig h t A eronautical Progressive H eatin g an d Q uenching o f Sm all P arts Increasing Production o f Cores w ith C onveyor O vens Im proved D esign, F a ste r Production b y A re-W elding
M a d e to y o u r order b y the M an u factu rer
o f W E L C O C u s t o m - b u i l t T o r q u e
M o to rs for the special, the o u t-cf-th e-
o r d i n a r y p o w e r i n g a p p l i c a t i o n s .
W RITE F O R FULL D E T A IL S
THE B. A. W E S C H E E L E C T R I C C O M P A N Y
D E P T . S S . 1 6 2 8 V I N E S T P F f t r i u t ikili . t .
AS THE EDITOR V IE W S THE NEWS
Li
January 29, 1945
Reject the Appointment!
President Roosevelt’s action in ousting Jesse Jones to make room for Henry Wallace is the biggest bombshell he has exploded in the face of American industry since he first assumed office in 1933. It is so preposterous from so many different angles that one is entitled to wonder whether the Chief Executive expected or even1 wanted Congress to confirm the appointment. Can it be that— shoddy and unworthy as die trick may be— he hopes secretly that the appointment will not be Approved,, thus leaving him in the position of having tried to pay his political debt by offering Mr. Wallace the job of his choice?
Of course the outstanding feature of the appointment is that Mr. Wallace is so manifestly unsuited by temperament, experience or native ability for the duties of secretary of commerce or of the director of RFC and its affiliates. Mr. Wallace is a dreamer, a crusader and a reformer. He is unfamiliar with business and commerce.
Undoubtedly, in his own mind, he thinks he is competent for the job because he has dreams about what business and commerce could do to promote full employment.
There is a place in government for the development of sound ideas regarding employment, but that place is not in the office of the secretary of commerce or ini die offices of the money-lending agencies. The statutory functions of the Department of Commerce are “to foster, promote and develop the foreign and domestic commerce, the mining, manufacturing, shipping and fishing industries, and the transportation facilities of die United States.” Mr. Wallace does not want to “foster, promote and develop” these facilities in the manner intended; he wants to utilize the authority vested in the job to experiment with these facilities.
The stated purpose of RFC is to “extend financial assistance” to certain specified interests. The job of supervising this and similar agencies manifesdy calls for bank
ing or other financial experience which Mr. Wallace lacks. We doubt if Mr. W allace’s warmest admirers w ould select him to handle their personal finances. Why, then, should he be chosen to handle the largest pool of the people’s money ever assembled?
The most unfortunate aspect of the Jones ouster and Wallace appointment is its chilling effect upon business morale. The duty of Congress is clear-cut: Reject the appointment.
The President’s plea, phrased in the cheap terms of a precinct political pay-off, cries aloud for such rejection.
D IR EC T A C T IO N BEST:
o u t of die welter of conflicting opinion regarding manpower will come legislation by Congress authorizing limited national service. Regardless of its final form, it is a safe bet that the action of the lawmakers will fall far short of achieving the immediate objective, which IS to place more men where they are needed most urgently— now.Hope for early relief in manpower difficulties lies more in the realm of “direct action.” For instance, the investigation of Norfolk Navy Yard seems to re
veal manpower waste, which if corrected promptly would release hundreds of men for essential work.
A 10 per cent increase in productivity, obtainable through reduction of absenteeism, loafing and stall
ing, would wipe out labor shortage in the Detroit area. The effect of die drastic experiment of WMC in the Bethlehem-Allentown-Easton district remains in doubt at this writing, but the positive discourage
ment of employment in nonessential activities is bound to speed the flow of workers into w ar jobs.
Every effort to correct the manpower situation
(O V E R )
37
A S T H E E D I T O R V I E W S T H E N E W S
now being made hastily in an atmosphere of near panic could have been made quietly and in an or
derly w ay at anytime since Pearl Harbor. Common sense, work and efficiency can cure the manpower
ailments. _ pp. 41> 47j 57
FREEDOM O R SECURITY?
Problems involved in guaranteeing an annual wage to employes were discussed in a forum sponsored by the National Industrial Conference Board. Philip Mur- ray, while admitting there are difficult complications, insisted that he believes the proposal can be worked out satisfactorily. Senator Robert Taft asked per
tinent questions. D o we need 60,000,000 jobs to sustain 35,000,000 families? Are 60,000,000 jobs necessary to do Ihe work of the nation? Under wage guarantees, does the worker choose his job or does the government pick it for him?
Clarence 15» Randall declared that a guaranteed annual wage is a proposal for regimenting the buy
ing habits of the public. “To buy or not to buy is a function of freedom.” If we are to have steady production and employment, he inferred, we must have steady buying by the public.
The upshot of this discussion is simply this: We can have freedom or security, but we cannot have both. Which do w e cherish more? — p. 46
A B O O N FOR LO C ALS
; Perusal of the list of technical and trade associations which have canceled conventions and shows and of the list of those whose applications have been denied by the War Committee on Conventions indicates conclusively that national and regional meetings involving 50 or more persons are definitely “out” until the present restrictions are relaxed.
The effect of this black-out will be more far-reach
ing than is generally realized. The educational serv
ices rendered by conventions and shows will be un
dertaken in part by other mediums. Technical men will look more to the printed word in their engineer
ing publications. Much of the verbal exchange of opinion and experience that has been voiced in na
tional and regional meetings now will be transferred to the rostrums of the local chapters.
Greater opportunities for locals will be a whole
some by-product of the emergency. Strengthening local chapters in 1945 will make for better national organizations in 1946, 1947 and beyond. — p. 49
FEAR OF INJUSTICE:
According to the Division of Simplified Practice, some manufacturers are not using the division’s services because they (1) are too busy with war work, (2) believe simplification may hamper them after the war, (3) fear the effect of nonco-operation by competitors, (4) feel sim
plification will interfere with progress in their indus
try or (5) fear acceptance of simplification by an in
dustry group may be construed by the Department of Justice as an act in restraint of trade.
Thousands of industrialists who believe thoroughly in reasonable simplification to limit sizes and vari
eties doubtless are deterred by one or more of these reasons. However, the greatest deterrent is fear of antitrust action. Industry cannot easily forget that scores of companies have suffered the outrage of consent decrees” high-pressured by attorneys gen
eral for nothing more criminal than acceding to tire request of a government agency for co-operation.
Unfortunately nobody can do anything about this until the Department of Justice itself through con
sistent fair dealing over an extended period lives down its unsavory record of the past decade.
— p . 5 0
P R EC ISIO N C A ST IN G :
One of the methods of casting metals which has made remarkable progress in the war period is the “lost wax” or in
vestment process. It consists of making a wax pat
tern, imbedding it in a mold, removing the wax by melting it and pouring molten metal into the emp
tied cavity.
This age-old practice has been refined and adapted to the mass production of buckets for aircraft en
gine turbo-superchargers. Thousands of these buck
ets are being turned out daily to close tolerances and with surfaces so smooth that little finishing is re
quired. Each bucket is X-rayed individually and after assembly each completed turbine wheel is checked by X-ray.
It is difficult to believe that the “lost-wax” proc
ess w ill lapse into its long-time obscurity after this convincing demonstration of its possibilities. It is likely peacetime applications will be found for it—
particularly in the field of high-melting point metals
and alloys. — p. 72
E D IT O R -IN -C H IE F
38
T I - N A M E L
Another N e w Creation by Inland Steel C o m p a n y ’s Research
Laboratories
T he long aw aited porcelain enam el
ing base, which elim inates the neces
sity for a ground coat, is here! I t is T i-N a m el, th e new titan iu m alloy steel—the n ew est creation by I nl and’s research laboratories.
T i-N am el is superior in every re
sp ect to older ty p e s o f base m etals.
I ts draM'ing properties are equal to the b est deep-draw ing steels. I t does n o t age strain no m atter how long it rem ains in storage before fabrica
tion. Inland T i-N a m el Steel does n ot reboil. Therefore vitreou s enamel finishes, equal to th e b est m ulti-coat ware, are obtained w ith w h ite or color coat enam els applied direct to th e base m etal. T h is results in a thinner coat which reduces chipping
hazards and increases the service- life o f the ware.
T i-N a m el reduces reoperations, edging, and scrap. I t is fired a t lower tem peratures, and in less tim e. In s h o r t, I n la n d T i- N a m e l S t e e l i n creases shop ou tp u t, lowers m an u facturing cost, and assures superior vitreous enam eled ware.
P e n d i n g p a t e n t a p p l i c a t i o n s o n t h e n e w e n a m e l in g p r o c e s s a n d p r o d u c t m a d e t h e r e b y , a r e o w n e d j o i n t l y h y I n l a n d S t e e l C o m p a n y a n d T h e T i t a n i u m A llo y M a n u f a c t u r i n g C o m p a n y u n d e r t r u s t a g r e e m e n t .
W rite for copy o f the T i-N a m e l B u lletin and licensing agreem ent.
Inland S teel C om pany, 38 South Dearborn Street, Chicago 3, Illinois.
Sales Offices: C incinnati, D e tr o it, K ansas C ity, M ilw aukee, N ew York, S t. Louis, St. Paul.
I N L A N D S T E E L
BOSToÎ?
Cleveland'
;tllC A G O
P H IL A D E L P H IA
CINC IN NA TI S T . L O U is
Ryerson W artim e
Prom pt Deliveries from 11 Plants
R Y E R S
R y erso n stan d s fo r steel quickly from stock—an d has since o u r C om pany was fo u n d e d 102 y e a rs a g o . N o w eleven strateg ically located R yerson Steel-Serv- ice P la n ts serve the n a tio n ’s p rin cip al steel-using a re a s —a n y th in g from a single piece to m an y c a rlo a d s —b ars, shapes, structurals, plates, sheets, tubing, etc.—
carbon, alloy, A llegheny Stainless and to o l steel.
At p re sen t o u r service can n o t alw ays be as fast n o r o u r stocks as com plete as u n d e r n o rm al conditions. N evertheless, stocks are la rg e a n d deliveries
g e n erally satisfactory. W here an item is n o t in stock a t o u r n earest p la n t, it usually can be sh ip p ed
from one o f ou r o th e r p lan ts. Very often we a re able to give unusual service an d help to av o id factory o r m achine shut-dow ns.
O u r latest stock list describes o u r com p le te li n e —m o re th a n 10,000 k in d s , shapes an d sizes o f steel. T h is buying reference is a v eritab le “ b o o k o f know l- ed g e” .Itg iv esd escrip tio n s,sizes,w eig h ts, specifications and cutting extras fo r every k in d o f steel. O u r n e a re s t p la n t w ill be glad to furnish you a copy.
JOSEPH T. RYERSON & SON, Inc., Steel- Service Plants at: Chicago, M ilw au
kee, D etro it, St. Louis, C incinnati, C leveland, P ittsb u rg h , P h ila d e l
phia, Buffalo, N ew Y ork, B oston.
C I V I L I A N G O O D S
Output Under Spot
P ro g ra m will not b e r e v o k e d , but p ro d u c tio n will b e restricted until p r e s e n t tight situation in r a w materials, c o m p o n e n ts a n d m a n p o w e r has e a s e d . N e w a uthorizations will not b e g r a n t e d in a r e a s w h e r e la b o r s h o r t a g e exists
w ire m ill or brass m ill p roducts. N ew allotm ents of steel w ill be lim ited to not m ore th an 10 tons of carb o n a n d 2 tons of alloy steel to “piece-in ” idle an d ex
cess m aterials. N o lim it has b een placed yet on n ew allotm ents of alum inum .
S teel distributors, now th e best source o f n ew m aterial fo r spot authorizations, h ave b een d irected to deliver u n d e r th e spot au th o rizatio n “Z ” allo tm en t proce
d u re only 10 tons of carbon steel an d 2 tons of alloy steel p e r custom er each q u arter. Stainless steel deliveries have been sto p p ed entirely.
T h e cu rre n t status an d outlook for p ro d u ctio n of certain types of civilian goods are sum m arized below .
Prospects fo r reconversion of th e h e a v ie r electrical ap p lian ce in d u stry are still rem ote. M anpow er, facilities, com po
nen ts an d m aterials n eed ed fo r the p ro ductio n of w ashing m achines, m ech an ical refrigerators an d vacuum cleaners are not likely to b e available fo r some m onths. P roduction of these item s u n d er th e sp o t authorization p ro ced u re w ill of necessity b e spasm odic and sm all in q u an tity . Prospects fo r o u tp u t of sm aller
electrical appliances u n d e r the p lan are som ew hat b rig h ter, though delays in d e liver}' o f m aterial h a m p e r production.
O u tp u t of dom estic m echanical refrig erato rs, p ro h ib ited since early in 1942, p ro b ab ly w ill n o t be resum ed u n til after victory in E u ro p e. M anufacturers esti
m ate it w ill take from 5 to 6 m onths to g e t into pro d u ctio n a fte r th ey are au
thorized. Before tire w ar, 3,700,000 m echanical refrigerators w ere m ade p e r y ear on an average. T h e original stockpile of 700,000 refrigerators, established in F eb ru ary , 1942, has dw indled to less than 45,000.
E nough steel w as expected to be available to p erm it th e m an u factu re of 375.000 ice refrigerators in th e fourth q u a rte r of 1944 a n d th e y ear ‘1945.
H ow ever, m anufacturers w ere n o t able to sta rt p roduction last year, because of delays in delivery of n eed ed m aterials, an d the steel supply outlook to d a te this year h as grow n m ore critical. O f the 375.000 all-m etal ice refrigerators p lan n ed for p ro d u ctio n , 55,900 p e r q u a r
ter are for civilian req u irem en ts. T h e rem ain d er is n e e d e d to m eet req u ire- Production o f electric irons for
civilians, sh o w n above at th e M ans
field, O., p la n t o f W estin g h o u se Electric & M fg . Co., has b een vol
untarily halted in order to trans
fer em ployes to w ar w ork
PROD UCTIO N of m ost civilian goods under the W a r P ro d u ctio n B oard’s spot authorization program d u rin g th e next several m onths a t least w ill be fa r below the amount auth o rized . T h e plan w ill not be revoked b u t activity u n d e r it will be restricted u n til th e p resen t tig h t situa
tion in supply of critical ra w m aterials and m anpow er has eased; this m eans until victory' is w on in E urope.
Allotments an d auth o rizatio n s alread y granted have n o t b e e n canceled. H o w e'er, because of th e shortage in m an power and m aterials, it is unlik ely th a t on orders fo r steel, co p p er in m ost onus, and alu m in u m sh eet p lace d u n d e r
•n L<SPOt a u th ° rization” o rd er PR -25
“e hUed d u rin g th e first an d second quarters.
Reflecting W P B ’s g eneral re tre n c h ment policy in reg ard to spot au th o riza-
“on, the agency on D ec. 1 a d o p te d a policy of g ran tin g no spot authorizations m group 1 lab o r areas an d in 44 o th er a or areas fo r 90 days. T h is policy is expected to be c o n tin u ed fo r a n o th er 90 a>s beginning M arch 1, b a rrin g an u n expected early term ination of th e E u ro pean war, O n D ec. 16 th e W PB a n nounced th a t pro g ram s fo r the m anufac-
ire of civilian item s w ould, in general,
>e restricted to th e pro d u ctio n level al-
°wed during the fo u rth q u a rte r of 1944.
bpot authorizations still can be a p proved to utilize an y am o u n t of idle an d excess m aterial p ro v id ed th e ap p lican t 'as available facilities an d labor. N o ne" allotm ents w ill He m ade o f cop p er Janu;ary 29, 1945
m ents of th e M aritim e Comm ission, F o r
eign E conom ic A dm inistration an d N a tional H ousing A gency.
As o f N ov. 25 last, spot authorizations to r pro d u ctio n of 116,228 vacuum clean
ers in 1944 an d 313,492 in 1945 had been issued. B ecause of delays in de- iv ery of m aterials a n d the m anpow er shortage, p roduction of vacuum cleaners is n o t expected to reach th e authorized am ount. As in th e case of household m ech an ical refrigerators, all v acuum cleaners p ro d u ced u n d e r the spot a u thorization p lan are a d d ed to the “frozen stockpile to insure th a t essential re
quirem ents w ill continue to be m et. P ro duction of vacuum cleaners b efore the w a r av erag ed approxim ately 1,903,000 yearly.
O f ih e 88,000 dom estic electric ranges p lan n ed fo r p roduction in 1944, only a b o u t 76,000 w ere com pleted d u e to the m anpow er shortage. P ro d u ctio n of 35,- 000 dom estic electric ranges p e r q u a rte r has been ap p ro v ed fo r 1945. O f the total 1945 p roduction, a b o u t 35 p e r cent will be req u ire d fo r th e arm ed forces an d the N ational H ousing A gency, th e rem ain d er fo r institutional and individ
ual consum ers.
O u tp u t F alls S hort o f A uthorizations A uthorizations fo r the p ro d u ctio n of m ore th an 2 m illion electric irons, includ
ing bo tli au to m atic a n d nonautom atic types, h av e b een g ran ted 32 m an u factu r
ers by W PB . H ow ever, o u tp u t has fallen fa r short of the am ount authorized because of delays in obtaining critical m aterials, as w ell as th e necessity of shifting em ployes into w ar plants. A bout 700,000 irons w ere assem bled by the close o f last year. C u rre n t W PB policy is to hold electric iron pro d u ctio n for 1945 a t th e level allow ed du rin g th e fo u rth q u a rte r last year, a n d it is n o t ex
p ecte d th a t th e 194o overall o u tp u t will exceed th a t fo r 1944. Indicative of the pioblem s facing m anufacturers, the M ansfield, O., p la n t of W estinghouse . E lectric & M fg. Co. has stopped pro- a u ctio n of Io 7 ,0 0 0 electric irons author- ized for th a t p la n t last A pril u n d e r the
spot authorization” plan.
R esum ption of dom estic sew ing m a
chine pro d u ctio n is “extrem ely rem ote,”
W PB has inform ed th e industry advisory com m ittee. M any of the m aterials re q u ire d fo r sew ing m achines are critically sh o rt d u e to th e increased d em and for am m unition, com m unications w ire and oth er w ar items. C old-rolled sh eet in th e 16, 18 a n d 20-gage sizes cannot he o b tain ed u n til a t least th e en d of this q u a rte r. Brass an d cop p er products, alum inum sheets in certain gages and h eavy alum inum extrusions, zinc die cast- ings, nickel anodes, certain chem icals fo r platings, an d m an y com ponents are in critically short supply.
Backlog of o rd ers fo r fractional h orse
p o w e r m otors, how ever, has b een re d uced from 10 o r 12 m o nths to approxi
m ately 5 m onths. M otors o f this type a r e expected to be available in sufficient q u a n tity to p erm it sew ing m achine pro-
CO NTRASTING T R E N D S IN M U N ITIO N S PRO G RA M S Munitions Production, Oct-Dec, 1944, Schedules, Jon.-June, 1945
"'***— Decreosinq ' lu ii'im
---
--- !--- —J_____
— r — 1— - — 1—---1--- 1--- 1____
ductio n at p re w a r levels a fte r th e d e fe a t of G erm any.
D u rin g m ost of 1944 m an u factu rers of cast iron w are w ere p e rm itte d to p ro d uce a t a b o u t p re w a r levels, b u t actual- o u tp u t w as considerably below th a t rate because m anufacturers w ere busy on w ar work. 2,774,000 cast iron skillets, 335,- 000 d u tch ovens a n d 541,000 flat irons w ere p ro d u ced in the base year, Ju ly 1 1940 through Ju n e 30, 1941. M anufac
turers are now p e rm itte d to m ake any desired type of cast iron w are.
C u rren t level of enam eled w are ship
m ents continues below th e 1943 q u a r
terly average of $5,839,000. T hro u g h - 0“ t.I.1944 USe iron alld steel f ° r civilian en am eled w are p roduction w as lim ited to 70 p er cen t of the usage in th e y ear ended Ju n e 30, 1941. T h e iron an d steel q u o ta to fill p referred orders has b een set a t 55 p e r cen t of th e base p erio d usage. T hough m an u factu rers m ay now m ake an y desired ty p e of
en am eled w are, in any size, overall out
p u t w ill not be increased since addition
al steel has n o t been m ade available.
G alvanized w are m anufacturers may expect in creased difficulty in obtaining galvanized sheets in 1945. Require
m ents fo r galvanized sheets have readied an all-tim e high, b u t th e manpower shortage is so acu te th a t production can not be in creased accordingly.
Issuance o f allotm ents fo r copper base alloy fo r use in pro d u ctio n of common a n d safety pins, chu rch goods, and blanks” fo r silverplated table flatware w ill be d iscontinued beginning with the second q u arter.
Use o f lead in th e less essential civil
ian uses has b een tig h ten ed further. Late in D ecem ber, W PB lim ited use of lead to 60 p e r ce n t of th e 1944 level, and last w eek n ew restrictions w ere imposed on use o f this m aterial in collapsible tubes, g u tters an d leaders on dwellings, an d in sheets, p ip e an d fittings.
Pig Iron O utp ut Se t N e w Y e a rly Record in 1 9 4 4
939 474 6 1 De c e mb e r p ro d u ctio n w as 4,998,757
61 777 006 tons n rn if 1 t0nS’ inc!udinS 57>07S tons of ferro and A m erican Iron L q I ? ’ th e sp ie?el> com pared w ith 4,904,011 tons in PoTs This In stitu te rc- N ovem ber, w ith 63,341 tons of ferro and m g ffon nrodueHonn e 'T ,y eaIly f S 0? ° r Spiege1' T h e o u tp u t represented 86.7 680 774 tons of f ° in es p e r c e n t o f cap acity in Decem ber, 87.6
* & ^ U S 5 Z G S . S i O m T * " - 856 D" ” b'"
sen ted 91 7 ' <ner e e n ^ n f in re?^f" D etails of pro d u ctio n by various dis- in 1943 the percen tag e was g e T ’ tfiCtS ‘? n<? p e r?e n ta £ f of operations are
• ‘ • p re se n te d in th e follow ing tabulation:
.*■"---—— T o t a l- ---
p. . P er cent
E a ste rn ¿ ’ q " F en-osm egel D e c e m b e r Y ear to d a te capacity
Pittsburgh-Youngstown * ' ! " ' I 975 608 on’m - 11.321,885 84.9
Cleveland-D etroit xnSQi ® 0,01 ' U 995.623 25,254.455 S7.8
C h ic ag o . . ... , n -o -n n 5 0 8 ,9 4 5 6 ,2 2 0 .3 2 7 90.9
S o u t h e r n ... 3 4 s ’ïS f i 1 ,0 5 2 ,5 0 0 1 3 ,1 1 5 ,2 6 8 88.5 W e s te rn ... 2 0 -02S 3 6 8 ,1 5 4 4 ,3 0 8 ,9 1 9 86.4 ... l o 8 ’2 4 4 1 5 8 ,2 4 4 1 ,7 1 8 ,6 2 0 65.9
T o ta l 4 ,9 4 1 ,6 7 9 5 7 ,0 7 8 4 ,9 9 8 ,7 5 7 6 1 ,9 3 9 ,4 7 4 SG.7
p e r < ^ r t r f 7 o J ™ L T f u m ^ ^ S S i n . ^ " 8 19 4 3 com I’an ies ¡" e lu d e d a b o v e rep resen ted 99-7
42
W A R P R O D U C T I O N
Total Decem ber M u n itio n s O utp ut Higher, but U n d er M o n t h 's Schedule
S h a r p a d v a n c e s n e c e s s a r y to m eet J a n u a r y g o a ls in m a n y critical p r o g r a m s . O v e r a l l p ro d u c tio n e x p e c t e d to v a r y little from h o rizo nta l p l a n e o f 1944 during first half o f this y e a r , although in creases a r e possible
IO TA L m unitions p roduction a n d w ar construction for D ecem b er am ounted to
$5445 m illion, an increase o f 1 p e r c e n t over N ovem ber b u t 2 p e r cen t b eh in d the schedule for th e m onth. In th e critical programs, som e fu rth e r progress was made, although schedules w ere m issed by considerable m argins in several of the groups, according to a re p o rt by H iland G. Batcheller, chief of operations fo r the War Production Board.
Preliminary figures show th e overall picture for D ecem b er to be: A ircraft, 2 per cent gain over N ovem ber, b u t 2 p er cent u nder schedule; ships, 6 p e r cent under N ovem ber an d 4 p e r cen t below schedule; guns a n d fire control, 1 p er cent under N ovem ber, b u t on schedule;
ammunition, 3 p e r cen t u n d er N ovem ber and 1 beh in d schedule; co m b at an d m o
tor vehicles, 7 p e r c e n t over N ovem ber, and 1 u n d er schedule; com m unications and electronic eq u ip m en t, 1 p e r cent u n der N ovem ber a n d 4 p e r ce n t u n d er schedule; o th er eq u ip m en t an d supplies, 3 per cent over N ovem ber a n d 2 p e r cent under schedule.
Gains A re N ecessary fo r Jan u ary In the critical program s, gains over November w ere m ad e in all groups except Aavy rockets, b u t in alm ost every case further large gains w ill be necessary to meet January schedules. C ritical aircraft must increase 27 p e r cen t to m eet January schedules. A rtillery am m unition m u st be increased 14 p e r cent; heavy field a rtil
lery, 5 p er cent; N avy rockets, 92 p er cent; N avy heavy caliber am m unition, 3 Per cent; com m unications w ire, 11 per.
cent; tru ck a n d bus tires, 17 p e r cent;
cotton duck, 3 p e r cent; m ilitary dry cell' batteries, 49 p e r cent.
Truck an d tan k schedules are expected to be increased fu rth er. In 60 an d 81- millimeter m ortars a 56 p e r ce n t increase is needed to m eet F e b ru ary schedules.
‘No great progress w as m a d e in D e
cember in rem oving item s from the critical list,” said M r. B atcheller. “As ex
pected, com bat loaders w ere rem oved from the list last m onth. In th e aircraft group, one m odel w as d ro p p e d a n d three new ones w ere ad d ed . N avy 40-m illim eter antiaircraft guns are no longer critical.
M odification of th e in teg rated truck program m ad e it possible to n arrow the critical area in heavy trucks to Army 'e lcles. T h e re w ere som e additional minor changes in th e list, in q u a rte r
master an d engineer item s, an d in some specialized fire control e q u ip m en t.”
Mr. B atcheller em phasized th a t even
th e latest schedules frequently are te n ta tive. M any program s call fo r production rises th ro u g h th e first h alf of 1945 and th en a “slum ping off.” “W hile this could m ean th a t needs w ill decrease a fter m id y ear, it m eans m ore often only th a t rock- bottom m inim um s have b een set for the m ore d ista n t m onths, w ith th e schedules to be increased as soon as needs can be m ore accurately d eterm in ed .”
F o r m ore th an a year, to tal m unitions have b een m oving virtually on a horizon
tal line (see ch art on p a g e 4 2 ), an d it is not expected to vary greatly from th a t tre n d in th e next six m onths. Som e p ro gram s w ill increase, som e w ill decrease a n d others are expected to h o ld relative
ly stable.
Stainless Steel Producers C h a rg e d U n d er Trust A c t
Civil com plaint has b een filed in th e U n ited States d istrict co u rt a t T renton, N . J., charg in g 18 steel m anufacturers w ith conspiracy to restrain tra d e a n d fix prices in th e stainless steel in d u stry in violation of th e Sherm an A ntitrust act.
A fed eral g ran d jury at T ren to n retu rn e d a crim inal in d ictm en t against the sam e m an ufacturers, to g e th e r w ith six of th eir officers on N ov. 15, 1944. (S e e S t e e l ,
Nov. 20, 1944, p. 7 3 .) D efen d an ts w ill be arraig n ed on the crim inal charge, also involving the S herm an A n titru st act, on F e b . 3.
Present, Past a n d Pending
■ P IG IR O N IN V EN T O R IE S LIM IT ED TO 30 DAYS
Wa s h i n g t o n— P ig iron inventories w ill b e lim ited to a 30-day supply, b ased on , /
p re s e n t m elting schedules, u n d e r a directive issued by W PB . T he directive becam e 'A effective Jan. 26 an d w as issued on the g round th a t supply an d d em an d are in very close balance. S hould larg er inventories b e necessary fo r special reasons, ap p eal m ay b e m ad e to W PB .
■ BETHLEHEM STEEL EA R N S $9.93 A C O M M O N S H A R E IN 1944
Ne w York—B ethlehem Steel C orp.’s 1 9 4 4 n e t profit to taled $ 3 6 ,1 6 7 ,7 2 3 , equal to
$ 9 .9 3 p e r com m on share, ag ain st $ 3 2 ,1 2 4 ,5 9 2 , or $ 8 .5 8 a share, in 1943. R egular q u arterly div id en d of $ 1 .5 0 a com m on share has been declared. ‘
H N A T IO N A L STEEL SEEKS R IG H T TO R A ISE SA L A R IE S
Pi t t s b u r g h— N ational Steel C orp. an d subsidiaries is seeking to increase com pensa
tion o f all salaried em ployes a b o u t 5 p e r cent, retroactive to D ecem ber, 1943.
■ U. S. STEEL REPORTS O N 1943 R E N E G O T IA T IO N
Ne w Yo r k— T h irteen steel p ro d u cin g a n d fab ricatin g subsidiaries of U nited States S teel C orp. h a d no excessive profits u n d e r w ar contracts in 1943. In the case of th e F e d e ra l S h ip b u ild in g & D ry D ock Co., renegotiation fo r 1943 resulted in re d u c tion of $4,500,000 in th e selling prices of ships, w hich, after taxes, am ounts to re
duction of $816,804 in th e 1943 re p o rte d incom e of U n ited States Steel.
* A M M U N IT IO N C A R B O N STEEL NEEDS TO RISE SH A R P L Y
Wa s h i n g t o n—A rm y am m unition carbon steel requirem ents are expected to increase /
from 2,020,000 tons this q u a rte r to m ore th an 3,400,000 tons in final th re e m onths / this year. Shell steel billets w ould acco u n t fo r 50 p e r cen t of th e total, w ith 20 p e r
V
cen t for sheets, 9 p e r c e n t tu b in g , a n d sm aller percentages fo r hot-rolled bars, cold- finished bars a n d plates. T h e rocket program w ill use 320,000 tons of steel m onthly.B
A L L O Y STEEL OUTPUT IN 1944 BELO W 1943 TOTAL
Ne w Yo r k— Alloy steel o u tp u t irt 1944 to taled 10,525,436 tons, a b o u t 12 p e r cent / of to tal steel p roduction, com pared w ith 13,149,818 tons, or 15 p e r cen t of th e total. \ / in 1943. O u tp u t of alloy steel in D ecem b er cam e to 848,274 tons com pared w ith 803,507 in N ovem ber a n d 798,647 in D ecem ber, 1943.
B
M A C H IN E TO O L S H IP M E N T S IN C R E A S E 1.4 PER CEN T
Wa s h i n g t o n—M achine tool shipm ents by 199 firms rep o rtin g to W PB increased 1.4 •
p e r cen t in D ecem ber to $36,782,000. N et n e w orders increased $3,399,000, or 5.8 p e r c e n t over N ovem ber total, w hile ord er backlog increased $260,501,000, or 10.7 p e r cent.
January 29, 1945
43
W A R E H O U S E S I T U A T I O N
Adjustment In Prices
Is Delayed
200.000
100.000 qo.ooo-
80.0 0 0 70.000 60.000
50.000
Revision o f distributors' list a w a its a m en d m e n t o f recen t c h a n g e in steel p rice s ch ed u le.
L a r g e t o n n a g e involved
19261027 19281929 19301931 1932 1933 193419351936 1937 19381939 19401941 194219
«
W id e flu ctu a tio n s in m itt sh ip m en ts o f key finished steel products to steel distributors fro m 1926 through 1943 are d e p ic te d in th e above chart. Peak in these shipments
occurred d u ring 1941
A L T H O U G H it h a d b e e n rep o rted th e O ffice of Price A dm inistration w ould am en d its re c e n t p rice o rd er so as to m ake it clear p e rm itte d interim increases of $2 to $5 p e r to n on certain finished pro d u cts applied to m ill base prices, action h a d n o t y e t been taken late last w eek.
As th e o rd er stood tow ard th e close of th e w eek, th e advances applied only to m axim um delivered quo tatio n s and thus w arehouse steel distributors con
tin u ed u n a b le to advance th e ir quoted prices in line w ith th e h ig h er prices th ey now have to p a y th e m ills fo r m a
terial.
T h e delay in ann o u n cin g th e price am en d m en t is difficult to explain since it is understood OPA officials h a d as
sured w arehouse operators a t a m e e t
ing in W ashington F riday, Jan. 19, the revision w ould be m ade no la te r than Jan. 22. Because of this failu re of OPA to act, a large volum e of the p articu lar p ro d u cts singled out fo r increases has n o t y e t b een affected pricew ise.
S teel distributors h e ld second position last year, tire sam e as in 1943, as a m a
jor o u tlet fo r steel m ill products, topped only by th e shipbuilding industry in both years. In 1942, w arehouses w ere in th ird place and in 1941 they led all industry classifications in the purchase of steel.
D uring 1944, steel distributors re
ceived an estim ated 7,767,700 n e t tons from th e mills, o r 14.2 p er ce n t above th e 6,803,166 tons in th e p reced in g year.
In 1942 an d 1941 th e corresponding figures w ere 5,937,609 a n d 9,166,454 tons respectively. E xpressed in p er
cen ta g e of total m ill shipm ents, th e esti
m ated w arehouse 1944 share represents
12.8 p e r cent, w hile in th e three imme
d iately p reced in g years th e figures were 10.5, 10.0 an d 14.7 p e r cent.
N o m aterial change in th e position of steel distributors as an outlet for steel is expected in 1945.
R ecen t sharp u p w a rd revision in key w ar program s m ay force th e W ar Pro
ductio n B oard to tem porarily reduce mill w arehouse load directive. W PB has al
read y sh arp ly c u t b ack th e steel avail
ab le u n d e r th e spot authorization plan, th ro u g h elim inating entirely the author
ity to p urchase stainless steel and dras
tically cu rtailin g allo tm en t of carbon an d alloy steel u n d e r this plan. There w ill be no n e w allotm ents of carbon or alloy steel except those to consumers to obtain from w arehouses a maximum of 10 tons of carb o n steel an d 2 tons of alloy in a q u a rte r. W PB ruling pro
h ib itin g all m ill shipm ents on “Z” pri
orities is expected to be a logical de-
B reakd ow n of M ill Shipm ents to Steel Distribute
tu b e P ro d u cts
Sem ifinished (In g o ts, bloom s, b ille ts, slabs, ro u n d s, sh ee t a n d tin b a rs) ...
S tru c tu ra l sh ap es a n d sh e e t p i l i n g ... .. ...
P la te s (U n iv e rsa l a n d S h e a re d ) ...
R ails— 6 0 lbs. a n d o v e r ...
A ll o th e r rails ... .. ...
T o ta l ra ils ...
T ie p la te s a n d tra c k accessories (in c l. tra c k sp ik es) H o t-ro lle d b a rs (c a rb o n , in cl. h o o p s a n d bands") . . . .
C o n crete re in fo rc in g b a rs ...
A lloy b ars ...
C old finished (c a rb o n a n d a llo y ) ...
T o ta l b ars ...
P ip e a n d tu b e s ...
W ire ro d s ...
W ire a n d w ire p ro d u c ts (in c l. fe n c e p o sts) B la ck p la te ...
T in a n d te rn e p la te (P lot a n d c o ld r e d u c e d ) ...
S heets a n d s trip :
H o t-ro lle d ...
C o ld re d u c e d ...
G a lv an ize d ...
A il o t h e r ...
T o ta l, sh eets a n d s t r i p ...
T o o ! s te e l b a rs ...
W h ee ls a n d axles ...
F o rg in g s ...
S te e l castin g s ...
Skelp ...
A ll o th e r s te e l p ro d u c ts ...
G ra n d T o ta l ...
1 9 4 4 f
(N e t T o n s) 1943
3 6 .6 0 0 5 3 7 ,4 0 0 7 7 3 .5 0 0
5 .3 0 0 1 6 .7 0 0 22,000 1 1 .9 0 0 8 7 5 ,9 0 0 6 6 .7 0 0 4 7 ,0 0 0 3 9 1 .5 0 0 1 ,3 8 1 .1 0 0 1 ,9 9 3 .2 0 0
11,200 1 ,2 6 1 ,4 0 0 9 3 ,4 0 0 3 S .3 0 0
3 S .7 4 4 4 1 2 .7 2 7 5 6 5 .6 2 2 3 ,4 7 9 1 1 ,1 3 6 1 4 .6 1 5 2 4 .3 9 5 9 2 3 ,5 9 8 3 2 .8 7 5 1 1 1 . 2 1 1 3 6 8 ,6 3 2 1 ,4 3 6 ,3 1 6 1 ,6 4 7 ,5 4 3 6 ,7 1 4 1 ,3 0 6 ,3 0 0 6 2 ,2 5 0 2 4 ,7 0 5 6 5 7 ,6 0 0
3 S 9 .3 0 0 5 3 1 ,8 0 0
13 ,6 0 0 185
16,3 0 0 7 ,7 6 7 ,7 0 0
6 0 4 ,9 2 9 2 7 4 ,0 1 4 3 1 8 ,6 7 4 1 4 ,8 3 2 1 ,2 1 2 ,4 4 9 1 5 ,2 9 8 23 9 2 ,3 6 3 2 8 2 3 2 3 2 ,5 7 2 6 ,8 0 3 ,1 6 6
19 4 2 1941 19 4 0 1939
3 9 .0 9 7 5 4 ,4 3 1 2 3 ,5 3 6
4 1 0 ,7 0 8 5 4 7 ,5 1 1 3 3 1 ,5 2 3 2 8 3 .2 3 5 4 5 6 ,5 8 2 4 3 8 .5 4 0 3 1 3 ,6 6 3 2 1 5 ,2 4 1
7 ,663- 4,5 3 8
1 1 ,2 2 6 2 1 ,3 1 0
1 8 ,8 8 9 2 5 ,8 4 8 2 2 ,0 5 4 16,0 3 7
4 0 ,6 6 0 7 2 ,0 1 1 5 3 ,3 8 3 4 6 ,5 1 5
6 8 4 ,8 8 1 7 5 0 .8 2 1 6 0 4 ,2 8 5
1 8 6 ,4 6 9 4 3 2 ,6 5 7 3 1 1 ,7 3 0 3 0 2 ,5 8 3 6 7 ,1 1 8 9 0 ,0 1 5 6 2 ,0 1 1
2 0 8 ,2 7 7 3 1 4 .7 4 5
1 ,1 4 6 ,7 4 5 1 ,5 8 8 ,2 3 8 9 7 8 ,0 2 6 7 7 8 ,7 4 2 1 ,6 3 3 ,7 3 8 2 ,6 9 2 ,4 2 4 2 ,1 4 2 ,1 4 7 9 8 3 ,9 5 7
8,8 5 2 19 ,0 8 2 1 1 ,5 8 1
9 3 5 ,1 0 4 1 ,5 3 6 ,3 4 7 1 ,0 5 4 ,8 4 3 1 ,0 4 5 ,3 6 7
6 7 ,6 4 5 7 0 ,9 6 4 3 1 ,8 0 7 57.0S2
2 0 ,2 4 0 6 4 ,9 6 6 4 8 ,7 1 1
5 1 0 ,8 6 9 8 3 4 ,6 4 0 4 8 3 ,3 4 0 2 4 7 ,1 3 6 3 9 9 ,7 8 7 3 0 9 ,4 1 9
2 8 3 ,1 9 6 6 7 6 ,8 3 5 7 3 3 ,8 4 8 8 5 7 ,5 1 9
3 4 ,0 2 5 6 7 ,6 5 5 8 8 ,8 1 1
1 ,0 7 5 ,2 2 6 1 ,9 7 8 ,9 1 7 1 ,6 1 5 ,4 1 8 1 ,6 2 7 ,7 7 7
1 6 ,4 2 3 3 7 ,9 6 4 7 ,5 2 5
157 1 ,4 8 4
4 ,7 0 4 1 0 ,0 1 7
4 0 8 1 ,2 7 8
3 8 1
6 2 ,0 5 0 2 6 ,4 3 2 5 2 ,3 1 7 Í2 5 .7 5 7
5 ,9 3 7 ,6 0 9 9 ,1 6 6 ,4 5 4 6 ,6 8 6 ,5 3 4 5 ,1 7 9 ,6 6 0 1938
170,37 120,63
7,8 19,51 218,06
489,76 789,91 760,41 32,19
637,37 1,129$
67$
fP re lim in a ry . B la n k sp aces in d ic a te figures n o t a v a ila b le . F ig u res 1 9 2 7 -3 9 c o m p iled b y S T E E L ; 1 9 4 0 -4 3 b y A m e ric a n Iro n a n d Steel la st»
44
R O A D B U I L D E R S
velopment if tiie steel supply situation continues to tighten. W PB also m ay . revoke the ord er g ran tin g steel d istrib
utors permission to p u rch ase from th e mills up to 25 p e r ce n t in excess of shipment from stock.
Reflecting au g m en ted steel dem ands for various w ar program s an d inability of many com panies to g e t m ill deliv
eries prom ptly enough to m e e t revised schedules, distributors h ave experienced an increase of 10 to 15 p e r c e n t in d e mand the p ast few m onths.
One of th e m ajor p roblem s facing steel distributors to d ay is th e inability to move m aterial o u t of stock suffi
ciently fast to m e e t dem and. T his is due primarily to th e m an p o w er shortage and difficulty in ob tain in g a d e q u a te transportation facilities. O ne large in terest states th a t d o u b le th e p resen t staff is needed, p o inting o u t th a t deliv
eries are now 10 to 15 days b eh in d on orders requiring shearing an d cu ttin g operations. T h e w arehouse steel dem and has been heavier th an ability to ship for some months now.
Despite g re a te r m i l l shipm ents throughout 1944, steel d istrib u to rs’ in ventories on Jan. 1 last w ere m o d er
ately below those rep o rte d a t the close of 1943, reflecting th e g eneral increase in warehouse steel dem and. E xpressed in terms of percen tag e to 1941 base p e riod inventory tonnage, steel d istrib u tors’ stocks rep resen ted 113 p e r c e n t at the close of last year. T his com pares w ith 115 p e r ce n t on Sept. 30, 117 nn Ju n e 30, an d 116 p e r cen t on Dec. 30, 1943. H ow ever, th e cu rren t inventory level com pares favorably w ith
"1 ner cent of th e base tonnage rep o rted on Dec. 30, 1942.
Postw ar Construction Discussed
Investment of $ 5 billion ann u a lly in p u b lic w o rks seen n e e d e d in im m ediate p o stw a r y e a r s to s up p lem e nt p riva te e m p lo y ment a n d help stabilize construction
C H IC A G O PO STW A R construction prospects w ere discussed a t th e forty-second an n u al con
vention of the A m erican Road B uilders’
association h ere Jan. 16-19. To su p p le
m en t p riv ate em ploym ent an d help to stabilize th e construction industry, total investm ent in p u b lic w orks of a t least $5 billion annually in th e im m ediate p ostw ar years by federal, state a n d local govern
m ents w ill be necessary, asserted Maj.
Gen. P hilip P. Flem ing, F ed eral W orks A dm inistrator, W ashington.
H e cited as p o stw ar p lan n in g accom p
lishm ents th e $1,500,000,000 federal-aid h ighw ay a c t of 1944 an d T itle V of the w ar m obilization a n d reconversion a c t of 1944, w hich authorizes federal loans for the p la n n in g of local w orks, b u t urged th a t th e P resid en t’s re q u e s t for a $75,- 900,000 ap p ro p riatio n to im plem ent the loan assistance program be p u t into effect before th e en d of th e p resen t fiscal year.
N ational, state a n d local p lan s already com pleted should account for a b o u t one- h alf of the desired p u b lic construction goal of $5 billion a year, h e said, so th a t the problem now is to g e t $2,500,000,- 000 m ore of nonhighw ay sta te an d local plans into th e com pleted stage.
T h e U n ited S tates passed the peak o r dom estic m ilitary construction in 1942, b u t th e Arm y still p lans m ore than $250,-
000,000 of ad d itio n al building, stated M aj. G en. E u g en e R eybold, chief of A rm y E ngineers, W ashington.
A dm onition not to rush to b uy construc
tion eq u ip m en t w hen it again becom es available w as given by W . A. R oberts, vice presid en t, A llis-C halm ers M fg. Co., M ilw aukee. H e w arn ed th e ro ad builders to b e p articu larly cautious in buying surplus construction eq u ip m en t, an d a d vised them to buy this only through re g u lar trad e channels.
C onstruction eq u ip m en t m ade d u rin g the w ar is not u p to p re w a r standards, because of shortages in certain m etals, M r. R oberts said, an d he a d d ed th a t th e m odels for a b o u t a y ear after the w ar will b e the sam e as those b ein g b u ilt today.
T h e construction e q u ip m en t industry w ill b e ab le to p ro v id e th e n ee d e d e q u ip m en t for th e p o stw ar construction p ro gram s now b ein g p lan n ed , Mr. R oberts said. W h ereas th e industry p ro d u ced
$200,000,000 w orth of m achines in 1939, it p ro d u ced fo u r tim es as m uch in 1943, and th ere is still room for expansion.
An ind u stry com m ittee th a t has been at w ork on th e problem has not been suc
cessful in d eterm in in g “w hat, w here or how m u ch ” surplus construction e q u ip m en t will be on h an d after th e w ar. T h e Army itself w ill not know w h a t it has for som e tim e after hostilities.
Product Classification from 1 9 2 7 through 1 9 4 4
1137ilS.234 ft,784
18,471
18411
,
856,2941^12,958 1'447
,81,$45
«2,935
1936 1 9 3 5 19 3 4 1933
(N e t T o n s)
1932 1931 19 3 0 19 2 9 1 9 2 8 1927
3 1 7 ,3 0 2 2 1 2 ,7 8 4
1 7 3 ,9 6 8 1 1 9 ,6 6 4
1 1 4 ,7 3 1 8 6 ,9 4 4
1 2 3 ,2 1 3 9 9 ,2 9 0
8 7 ,7 6 1 5 7 ,2 7 1
1 6 3 ,7 7 1 1 0 3 ,3 5 6
2 8 1 ,0 1 5 1 8 3 ,7 8 5
3 9 9 ,1 3 1 2 7 4 ,7 2 7 5 .0 5 8 7 ,4 5 0 1 2 ,5 0 8 19,8 8 4
3 8 8 ,8 1 0 2 3 7 ,6 3 5 1,5 8 9 6,9 4 1 8 ,5 3 0 1 6 ,0 6 6
3 0 6 ,8 8 2 1 8 4 .6 2 2 10,711 3 4 ,5 0 8 1 4 ,9 8 8 14 ,7 0 9
16 ,8 4 9
4 ,8 8 5 1 1 ,5 3 6
7 ,1 2 7 8 ,0 2 8
2 ,6 9 0 7 ,7 1 9
1,4 9 1 3 ,2 3 2
3 .7 4 4 1 1 ,1 2 7
8 ,0 6 4 1 4 ,0 3 6
2 1 4 ,4 9 2 1 0 8 ,3 2 0 6 1 ,5 4 1 3 0 ,8 7 5 2 6 ,6 6 7 9 0 ,2 5 6 9 3 ,2 8 8 1 1 7 ,0 0 5 5 6 ,3 9 4 17,*306
6 7 4 ,5 2 6 1 ,1 1 5 ,7 0 3
4 5 2 .7 3 1 7 0 0 ,9 0 2
2 7 8 ,1 0 9 6 3 0 ,8 7 8
3 1 2 ,8 5 0 4 7 8 ,7 7 3
1 8 6 ,4 5 3 3 9 6 ,7 5 7
3 9 5 ,3 2 4 5 7 9 ,0 0 4
5 2 3 ,3 5 1 1 ,1 5 1 ,2 6 6
7 8 7 ,0 7 8 1 ,3 9 0 ,3 2 0
3 5 2 .6 5 4 1 ,0 7 4 ,7 4 9
5 2 3 ,6 4 5 1 ,3 2 1 ,2 4 4 9 0 5 ,1 0 2
3 4 ,7 5 0
7 6 9 ,6 8 1 3 7 ,9 0 8
5 0 8 ,7 4 2 4 7 ,1 3 4
5 6 3 ,9 8 9 5 5 ,3 5 6
3 7 3 ,3 3 1 5 7 ,5 1 1
4 8 9 ,4 1 9 3 8 ,5 6 7
4 9 8 ,7 2 9 3 8 ,8 2 7
6 1 1 ,2 5 3 5 7 ,7 9 8
5 0 5 ,3 3 3 7 4 ,1 6 4
7 7 6 ,9 6 6 6 1 ,2 7 4
6 8 1 ,0 3 1 1 ,2 6 7 ,2 4 2
5 1 6 ,4 7 9 4 5 4 ,7 8 5 3 2 0 ,2 2 6 2 8 0 ,0 0 9 3 7 6 ,1 7 3 3 9 8 ,7 9 5 4 6 2 ,3 4 7 397^744 304,*621
1 ,0 4 8 ,8 0 1 7 S 7 .5 5 4 6 2 7 ,4 7 1 5 0 6 ,7 2 3 6 6 6 ,9 3 4 7 8 1 ,3 5 0 8 7 8 ,2 8 6 7 5 2 ,4 7 2 7 4 4 ,1 4 4
4 2 ,5 4 9 4 ,6 0 1 ,5 1 7
4 5 ,6 6 8 3 ,3 6 5 ,7 4 4
2 3 ,5 9 7 2 ,4 9 2 ,8 4 3
1 9 ,9 8 0 2 ,2 9 5 ,3 3 1
1 1 ,4 1 5 1 ,6 8 1 ,9 4 4
18 ,9 9 2 2 ,4 7 0 ,2 3 8
4 4 ,4 9 5 3 ,5 2 4 ,9 1 9
3 7 ,9 3 0 4 ,4 6 8 ,9 3 7
5 7 ,9 0 7
3 ,4 6 2 ,7 2 1 78 ,4 9 3 4 ,0 4 6 ,8 1 2
January 29, 1945 45
