The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-08-14
CIO Strike AIlegedly
 Responsibl ble For Lack
 Of Essential Material
Shortage of Gypsum PasterbOard Admittedly Causing Serious Inconvenience Here Contractors
 Hopeful of Government Mediation

Drastic curtailment of Water bury's building program, which has gained impetus since the inception of the present defense boom, loomed, as Waterbury lumber merchants revealed yesterday the existence of a serious deficiency of gypsum plaSterboard.
 The building indispensable, which may be replaced by substitutes only at appreciably higher cost, is for all intents and purposes abso- lutely u1obtainahle, Waterbury SUD- ply concerns announce. Already in- volved with defense industries in a competitive struggle for other ma terials, local lumber yards find the present an almost i11surmountable obstacles.
 Responsible for the situation is the CTO strike in the IT plantsf the U. s. Gypsum Co, probably the chief source of gypsum plaster board in the nation. The trade is hopeful that a conference in prog ress yesterday between strikers and the management, at the fed- eral conciliation board in Wash ington, D. C., will be productive of favorable results.
 Spokesmen of the building trades in this city said yesterday that stoppage on construction jobs al- ready under way are in prospect as a result of the shortage. Many have ceased operations, and will be unable to resume until the vital material is supplied. The small amounts of gypsum that manage to trickle in from few small and scattered mills, are utterly made quate to cope with the demand.
 The head of one local lumber concern described the situation as damaging" and as a serious shortage" Another declared flatly that there has been no gypsum plasterboard in this city for the past five weeks, and that for at least the last two months the ma terial has been almost impossible to obtain.
 The condition is one that exists not only in this city, but has been prevalent throughout the country since the beginning of the strike in the U. s. Gypsum Go. plants. Other cities in the state, notably Hart ford and Bridgeport are experi- encing similar difficulties.
 Substitutes used in place of the plasterboard are Celotex insulat- ing board and steel lathing. Both of these are regarded as highly satisfactory, and by some as supe- rior to gypsum plasterboard, but the higher prices asked for these substitute materials prohibits their regular use except in cases where the completion of job is urgent.
 While no shortages are reported in lumber, of which a sufficient supply seems to be on hand, the future appears to bode no good for the filling of orders for brass pipe and galvanized and cast iron pipe.
 Brass has been on the priorities list of the Office of Production Management for a considerable time, and is one of the chief met alS employed in the defense set-up. Its use will probably be further restricted as defense production moves into full stride.
 Tightening controls on the dis tribution of other metals, including galvanized and cast iron, will un- doubtedly lead to an ultimate im- passe, from which the building trades may extricate themselves only if they possess the magical attributes of Houdini.