The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-09
Bell System Effects
 Savings Of Metals
Long Range Planning, Research Responsible for Im-
 pOrtant SubstitutiOns of Vast Importance

A saving of more than five mil. lion pounds of metals vital to de- fense needs, including enough alu- minum to build more than 275 fighter planes, Is being effected by the Bell System this year through materialst substitution program according to the Southern New England Telephone company.
 Made possible through long range blaming, research, and readjust- ments in manufacturing, the sub. stituting of materials in l94l will divert for use in defense work nearly 100000 pounds of aluminium, al- most a third of @ million pounds of nickel, well over three million pounds of zinc and $500 pounds oi magnesium. Additional reductions are foreseen for 1922.
 Western Electric
 The Western Electric company manufacturing arm of the system now saves 65 tons of aluminium an- nually by replacing aluminium with steel in the "fliner wheel55 on dial telephones. This is only one of many items of telephone equipment in which aluminium is being replaced by other materials. The total sewing of aluminium is enough to build more han 275 military planes other than bombers, or half as many bombers, in accordance with the es- innate of the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America that the average non-bomber requires three tons of aluminium and the average bomber six tons.
 The use of zinc is being sub- stantially reduced by coating much of the hardware used on telephone pole lines with lead, instead of put ting these products through q gal- vanizing proces. Also, less zinc is being used in the production of new telephones.
 Since 1925 the Bell System has been studying how to make the most effective use of materials. 1mmedi- ately after the outbreak of war in 1889, @ survey was made of critical materials particularly used in the telephone system and efforts to de- termine suitable substitutes were initiated.
 Many Processes
 Because of the many factors in- volved in the introduction Of sub- materials and new peocedures-the stitutes - processing, engineering system will be faced with an in- evitable rise in manufacturing costs as a direct result.
 Efforts to conserve vital materials reach to all parts of the sysem Telephone companies throughout the country are using much old equip ment which might normally be re. placed, SO that new equipment may be used at other locations where the need is greater. Dial installa' ions in some communities are being deferred, used switchboards arC being reused, cables are being re- sheathed and reused.
 Supplementing the Bell Systems substitution and conservation pro- gram are the reclamation activities 1t has been carrying on since 1881, when the Nassau Smelling and Re- fining company was acquired for the purpose of retaining junked mate- rial. Many of the materials used in telephone equipment are not eX- pended, but can be reclaimed and reused.
 The Nassau Smelling and Refln- ing company last year supplied the system with more than 42,000,000 pounds of metal. This was obtained chiefly from non-ferrous metals in outworn equipment, structures, and supplies junked by the operating telephone companies, The reclaimed metal included about 12,0oo,ooo