Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-30
INVENTORY OF y. s.
INDUSTRIES MADE
Committee on Industrial Pre-
paredness Completes Sur.
vey Of the Country.
TASK is DIFFICULT ONE

Washington, July 29.-The colossal
task OF making an industrial inventory
of the United States, is now virtually
completed, according to an announce
ment today by Chairman Howard E,
Coffin of the committee on industrial
preparedness of the Naval Consulting
Board of the United States. who has
the work in charge. Just how plants
the country over can adapt their
equipment to produce the thousands
of things from shells to shaving
brushes necessary for the govern
ment's use in national emergency
has been worked out with the most
extreme care through field reports
from engineers and chemists who are
members of the American Society Of
Civil Engineers, the American In
stitute Of Mining Engineers. the
American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers, the American Institute of
Electrical Engineers and the Ameri-
can Chemical society.
Both the inventory and the legisla-
ton growing out Of it are the result
of remarkable three-months' cam
paign made by a volunteer, unpaid
organization of business men and en-
gineers. 1t marks new era in the re-
lations of the engineer, the. manufac-
turer and the citizen generally in the
safeguarding of the national govern
ment, as we'll as much closer CO.
ordination between various govern
mental agencies. In many states un-
developed resources have been CLASH
fled and given publicity and new in
dustries are promised as the result OF
information gathered.
,, Received With Courtesy.
Business men the country over re-
!ceived the Investigators with the
greatest courtesy and cooperation.
In only few cases did they refuse to
give the desired information, and then
usually under a misunderstanding OF
the committees plans, which was
quickly cleared up. Over 10000 con-
Germs, each doing an annual business
Of over 100000 were classified, in ad-
dition to many smaller plants with
equipment peculiarly suited to turn
out material for the fighting line. At
the time of the Mexican crisis, Chair
man Coffin sent out urgent kilograms
to the chairmen of all state boards
urging all possible haste, and Secre-
tary Of War Baker detailed five reg
ular army officers, two Of them mem
bers of the general staff, to the COM
mittee headquarters in New York. In
stances from state reports follow:
Colorado will be greatly benefited
by the survey, according to Chairman
R. B. Moore, as local industry will be
able to develop greater elasticity and
many new resources till now unknown
will be developed. Chairman Samuel
Ferguson Of Connecticut reports that
manufacturers there at first looked
askance at the plan owing to previous
unsatisfactory business relations with
the government, but that this had
been, broken down BY personal con-
tact. =. ..-.; -.
/ Canned Goods From Indiana.
Illinois presented one of the heaviest
tasks iof the survey, for in Chicago
alone, over 500 chemical and metal
lurgical plants had to be inventoried.
Chairman Frederick K. Copeland
spoke enthusiastically Of cooperation
extended by the Chicago Association
of Commerce and the Illinois Manu-
facturers association. Indiana, ac-
cording to Chairman Barnard, can
supply enough canned food for any
army that the could ever put into the
field. In addition, there, are large
supplies Of meat, bareback and bis
cults, as we'll as acid and automobile
plants convertible to munition manu-
facture.
Chairman, Wilcox of Iowa, reports
that surprisingly large number Of
industrial plants have been inventor
led in that great agricultural state,
especially railroad shops. Kansas,
though strongly pacifst, has apprecia-
ted the common sense OF the survey
and has given Chairman Whitaker
very real cooperation. Chairman
Horace v. Winchell OF Minnesota, re-
ports that in Minneapolis alone over
1,400 industries were examined. Mis-
souri, reports through Chairman Phil
ip N. Moore, that its chief contribu-
ton will be lead and zinc, together
with harness, clothing, flour, bakery
and machine shop products. Official
maps have been prepared with the
location of the plants and their rail-
road connections. Montana reports
through Chairman Mathewson that
nearly every town in the state has
one or two garages with machine
shops that could be of great value,
while the horse markets at Miles City
and Dillon could supply cavalry
troops.
Shells From Omaha.
day could be turned out by railway
motor manufacturing company in
NaL.a.La accardinn To Chairnaan