Evening star., 1941-07-27
.Super-Conseryation
Agency Will Soon
Join Defense Units
Will Aim at Ending Civilian
Waste and Finding
Industrial Substitutes
By JAMES FREE.

By JAMES FREE.
A far-reaching defense conserva-
ton and reclamation program, remi-
niscent of the days of the World
War is being formulated by Govern
ment authorities and will be an
nounced soon, it was learned last
night
There has been some disagree
ment among defense agencies as to
which should supervise operations
OF a super-conservation unit and
Just who should be its director A
final decision has not been reached
but tentative arrangement has
been made calling for establishment
of such q unit under the Office of
Production Management, with Rob-
ert E. Mcconnell, O. P. NJ. conServa-
ton expert, as its chief.
Under the arrangement. the o.
P. M. conservation unit would be
taken out of John d. Biggers' pro-
ductlon division and function di-
rectlv under William s. KnudSen,
dlrector-general Of the agency. Its
work would be co-ordinated, if not
lntegrated with conservation sec
tlonS OF Leon HenderSon'S Office of
Price Administration and Civilian
Supply, and with civilian defense
aspects of special conservation divi-
Slons OF the Bureau of Standards.
the Army. the Navy, the Tennessee
Valley Authority, the Interior De-
partment and the Federal Power
Commission.
Two Major Efforts.
ACTIVITIES Of the new super-con-
SerVatlon agency will come in two
major claSSifiCations:
/. The task of changing the peo-
pie OF the United States from their
comparatively eXtravagant and
NaSteful use of resources to eff
Gent ana sparing utilization, so
that as much As possible may be di-
Verted to defense production.
z. suggesting and assisting in
duStry in the employment of sub
stltute materials and in the sim
pllncatlon of products.
one phase of the civilian pro-
gram VIII be collection campaiens
10 OBTAIN waste paper and scrap
metals such as iron and steel. pig
IRON, copper, tin and zinc. While
the method may vary. these pro-
grams would be based on eyperi-
ence gained in the aluminium scrap
drlve Just completed.
Another phase would comnare
with the voluntary use-less-gaso-
line campaign urged BY Interior
secretary Ickes for motorists of
Atlantic seaboaTd States. One of the
! hrst materials citizens will be asked
10 conserve will be rubber. Motor
lists can play large part in this
eHort by driving slower. particu-
larry on curves; being careful not
4 10 Scrape the sides of tires against
! cuTos ana keeping tires properly
inflated.
Substitutes ins Industry.
| Industries will be encouraoed IN
make such substitutions as those
already started in use of lead for
TN IN tubes for shaving creams.
cold creams and the like and plas-
tlcs Tor aluminium in refrigerator
trays. Manufacturing concerns also
VIII De asked to reduce the num-
per OF designs of their products.
recently. Tor example, the o. p.
! M requested makers of wood screws
10 discontinue production of 557 of
/ the 885 types of screws sold.
During the World War, in a simi-
lar effort, types of automobile tires
were reduced from 287 to 81. shoe
colors from 81 to s, washing ma
chlnes from 446 to 18. pocket knives
lrom 500 to 45 and farm ploWs from
BIZ to rs "a recent estimate showed
that there are now l.4O0 varieties of
ploWs being made in the United
States).
AS result of World War conser-
Vation old furniture patterns were
cut by so per cent and new patterns
were banned: shoe output was re-
duced to black, white and tan and
new lasts were taboo; the amount of
wool In garments was reduced:
styles OF stoves and ranges were cut
by IS per cent; bronze, brass and
copper coff1ns were eliminated. the I
patterns OF steel caskets reduced in
number, and the width and thick !
nesses of steel used in corsets were
reduced
Recently Mr. Mcconnell asserted
that we are at the beginning of
an ersatz program. The peo-
pie Of the United States might lust !
as we'll face the simple fact that
this defense program is going to
mean that they will have few of
the luXuries. comforts and conven-
fences to which they have become
accustomed"