Evening star., 1941-11-16
ALLEGATION Plan
|sExpectedto
Grow Slowly
Hard to Work Out
But Fine in Theory,
Says Magazine
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, Nov. 15.-S. P. A. BIS
order for ALLEGATIONS of all scarce
materials, industry by industry, is
not a mandate, says an article in
Business Week today. 1t is only
the statement Of desired and de-
sirable object, the magazine states.
Priorities will not be swept out over
night, nor will ALLEGATIONS be the
perfect and ideal solution of all our
problems, it is pointed out.
In pure theory, ALLEGATIONS are
fine, but nobody knows what they
would be in practice. True, alloca-
tions have been in full-f1edged op-
Grafton in certain lines for many
months-but usually in lines where
civilian supply has been cut of COM
pletely.
In aluminium, for example, where
there has been until recently only
one producer and where there are
ably the makers OF military air.
craft, it has been quite simple to
ration the available supply. But
when you come to an industry that
caters dominantly to civilian users,
and where there are hundreds of
manufacturers and their thousands
of parts makers. all using several OF
the scarce materials. the problem
obviously is vastly more complicated.
Priority TangIe Created.
Regardless OF complications,
though" says Business Week.
IS. P. A. B. and o. P. M. are de-
termined to supplant priorities with
allocations so far as possible and as
rapidly as possible, considering the
difficulties. One priority has bred
another until there has been created
an initiation that's just about as bad
as having none at all Moreover, the
! paperwork has threatened frequently
to bog the whole system down"
ALLEGATION is no cure for shortage
of materials, it is pointed out. ALI
important, however. is the principle
laid down by S. P A. B. that essen
tial industries shall be assured mini
mum quantities Of needed materials
to meet limited operating schedules
| This is not, at present, a guarantee.
1t is no more than hope. but
o. P. IS intention. when it cuts the
production of an industry or man.
ufacturer, is to try to furnish enough
materials to make the number Of
articles recognized in the limitation
order as essential.
The ALLEGATION plan will be applied
step by step. 1t may affect one in
dustry or even a single manufacturer
| at a time, or it may involve the
rationing Of the whole supply of steel
rather than allocating TO an industry
all of everything it Is to be allotted
o. P. M. is now working on alloca-
| ton of steel But it doesn't have to
wait until all needs are figured be-
fore rationing one. as shown by this
weeks order limiting the amount OF
steel to be used in production OF
metal Office furniture and equip
ment.
Furniture Order Cited.
The Office furniture order is de-
signed to reduce the industry's use
of steel from 100000 to 100000 tons
a year. 1t does not. however, say
| the industry may produce so many
| desks and so many filing cabinets
and so many safes. 1t says, rather,
| that the weight of steel in finished
products shall not exceed a certain
percentage of that used in the II
months ended June 80 Here, then
is limitation order based on intake
rather than output.
The initial step toward ALLEGATION
Is Donald M. Nelson's request to o
P. M. for detailed production pro-
grams for 1912, industry by industry
with ample information on probable
month-by-month requirements fol-
military, industrial and civilian
items, and for essential public serv-
ices. The production information
obtained is to be checked with the
Army, Navy and lease-lend authori-
ties for any possible conflict. Their
the industrial branches of o. P. NJ
that handle end products will take
the programs up with the industrial
branches controlling raw materials
Their joint findings will be passed
up to S. P. A. B. and, If approved
will be transmitted to the Priorities
Division of o. P. M. with instruc-
tions to issue the indicated limita-
ton order and to make every effort
to give the industry an intake of raw
materials corresponding to the
operating schedule as limited.
Priorities to Remain.
1t remains obvious that priorities
will continue major item In busi-
ness figuring until the ALLEGATION
system grows to cover most Of in
dustry The AA to A-l0 ratings is.
sued for defense will continue to be
mandatory. The blanket ratings, OF
"P" orders. will continue in force
until suspended.
When priorities are supplanted by
limitation ALLEGATION orders-and in
dustry is warned that this will take
some time-the essential civilian
output permitted will apparently bt
added onto direct defense production
rather than the two types being
Jumped within the limitation.
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