Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-27
Federal Wise
On Business
Devised
Prices Already Fixe d
in Aluminium Case
BY PAUL MaEL0N


WASHINGTON, March 27.-
~ The clamp which the gov
eminent will slip on business in
the new war order has been
devised. The master system was
eased upon the aluminium indus
try in two easy lessons March
% and "a.
The Stettinius controlled pri-
critics board laid down on
March % the wise within which
the aluminium industry can oper-
ate. The Henderson price stabil-
ization division followed up two
days later with a statement
fixing prices.
Both involved obscure indus
try techniques and, therefore,
attracted little attention. Natu-
rally, the announcements did
not officially pledge that the
rigid skeleton formula was to be
the test of the structure, for the
government controls over all
vital industries in case of direr
emergency or war. But those
within the OPM who devised the
system know it.
THE complicated aluminium
Il Tugs and bolts point up TO
this simple edict:
Every business in the alumni
mum Industry Is told how much
II can produce. when, for whom,
and what can be charged for it.
Indirectly this fixes the wage
which workers in the industry
can receive. the profit which can
be made by the business. and
the dividends which may be paid
by the companies, because all
these eventualities hinge upon
the few original factors that
are fixed by the government.
ITO SHOW you how completely
Il it works out:
Every business in the alumi-
mum industry is now required to
let the priorities division of
OPM pass on every production
order and sale in bulk once
month. An arbitrary list of who
shall be served first is estab-
lished.
All defense orders, including
Britain's, are assigned the rating
of A-10. which is prime. One
per cent of produced raw metal
must be set aside each month as
reserve, This reserve must be
held to meet emergencies CLASH
fed as b., the next classical
ton.
Use Of aluminium for repair or
replacement of manufacturing
apparatus is rated B-2. Health
and safety takes B-3. A partial
defense need OF the product is
classified B-4.
Small orders requiring less
than !. 900 pounds of raw alu-
minum a month"; are set at BIS.
Small quality products tless
than two pounds per Si06 OF
final sales value) get Be. Con-
sumers who have no satisfactory
substitutes are allowed BIT.
Lowest is BIS. applying 10
aluminium products for which
substitutes are available (glass
Jars for trays in refrigerators.
for instance). The producers are
required TO give this precedence
to all their work and no kidding.
zach producer is required to
II submit his orders to the
priorities division once a month.
Complaints will be heard by DR..
+. NJ. Hopkins, room 4527, So
cial Security Building. Wash
ington. Doctor Hopkins devised
the clamp.
The price wise was applied
little less forcefully by Leon
Henderson. possibly because he
was not as sure of his legal
ground. He announced fixed
prices LOT all aluminium raw
products. except the virgin ma
terial which presumably can be
controlled because the govern
ment directs the only producer.
Mr. MELONS Aluminium Com
pany of America.
Henderson is acting under
threat of government seizure of
plants. He may need some fur
Their legal authority. The prob
lem. however, is purely technical
as anything he requires from
Congress will no doubt be
granted.
HALF the strait jacket has
II already been applied 10
machine tools. nickel and man.
ganesc. Their production for de-
Tense use has been ordered. but
not for private consumer activ-
tiles.
All in all, this directs every
conceivable decision in the in