The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-06-18

try's economic life.
 First steps toward such Q set.up are to be seen in the announce ment of Donald M. Nelson, dlrec- tor Of purchases in the Office of Production Management, that in 6 matter of weeks there may be in- stituted an effort to simplify the number of lines of merchandise for civilian use., While these partic- ular industries might not be 5he first to be affected Nelson nen- tons as examples, hardware items, which require skilled labor to
 manufacture; blankets, which might be reduced from over Q score of grades and colors to say seven or eight and radio sets, which might be reduced from 20 models to 10.
 With simplifIcatlon of specifica- tons such as these, the extra pro- ductive capacity of all mills could be turned odefense items or other items for which there might be 8 critical civilian"use shortage,
 No Cracking Down
 Two things should be made clear In connection with this breath- taking plan for the reform of the economic pattern:
 l. "Simplification" does not mean standardization" That Is, all manufactures of blankets or radios would not be compelled to make the same seven or ten lines, col- ors and grades. Widest possible latitude would Dc given to make any seven or ten grades the manu. facture chose.
 3. The entire plan would be in- stltuted, at least in the beginning, on a purely voluntary basis with In any given industry, without com pulsion or penalty of any kind, for there Is no definite statutory pro. vision to cover any such industrial revolution as this plan involves,
 The plan has been under con3ld. eration In Washington for some months It has been presented to the President and Is supposed to have his approval, Only reason 1t has not been promulgated, accord- ing to Nelson, Is that press of i'm. mediate matters has prevented It.
 Announcement of the basic Ideas of the plan came rather uneXpect. edly at press conference held by Nelson. He had not intended to re- veal the plan in such detail at this time, but under questioning by 'e- porters about the speed of letting contracts and carrying out the de- fence program production, Nelson brought out this idea as one of tho means by which production could be speded - by freeing pros ductive capacity through simpli- fication of styles and designs and variations of the more or less com mon Items of civilian use.
 Blood and Sweat
 Inspiration for the "Economlc Ministry" plan Is tWo-fold. The broda Idea Is patterned after the British Ministry of Supply which has functioned for England through out the war. Tn discussing the idea, Nelson refers to Churchill's speech bSAVAS SVHltHutlSl NUVs ~, luou, III which he presented his most force- full arguments for creation of q Ministry of Supply that would have overall control of military and civilian economy. Nelson men- toned, in fact, that he recently re-read this speech which appears as & chapter of the current best- seller, Blood, Sweat and Fears e collection of Churchill speeches.
 Second reason for advancement of a plan like this for the United States Is simply the experience which Nelson and his associates have had In handling the purchas- es Job for OPM. Here again, Nell son makes clear that 1t would be mistake to impose a Ministry of Purchases on American business at this time. But he admits 1t might be necessary when industry be- comes more crowded. That Is tax. en to mean when defense spend- ing has reached three or four bil- lion dollars Q month instead of the present one billion,