Evening star., 1941-03-09

OF the 511 firms that received defense
contracts of 100000 or more in the last
half of last year, ia got 95 per cent of
the total. or s6,66s 300 900 out of s7,O26,-
100000 These ia firms have available
for the work they have contracted to do
only a relatively small proportion of the
machinery and men necessary for the
job.
Therefore, they must expand their
plants or farm out to subcontractors
a part of the work. Practically every one
in the defense organization here agrees,
theoretically about the need to farm
out" work to smaller firms, so that idle
machines and idle men can be pro-
ductive
But Morris L. Cooke, assistant to Sid
ney Hillman, and the staff he has gath
cred around him believe this must be
done at once, with all pressure of Gov
ernment and public opinion. if defense
production is to gather real momentum.
Mr.. Cooke, an industrial engineer who
has been drafted for several Govern
ment tasks in recent years, is doing
farming out" system.
In recent speech, he pointed out how
far this had been carried in Germany,
where even workers on the farm have
been provided with machinery for turn
ing out small parts to go into tanks and
planes. In Great Britain the big con-
tractors were reluctant to pass along the
work under what is known in England
as the bits and pieces" system. The
shock of the French collapse greatly ac-
celerated the process as the British peo-
pie were brought to sharp realization
of the need to utilize their entire pro-
ductive machine.
Same Reluctance Seen Here.
In this country the big firms have
shown the same reluctance, although
there are notable exceptions. They have
preferred to expand existing plants,
often with loans from the Government.
This is easier and it is likely to mean
larger profits for the manufacturer. Up
to now about 1880 100000 in defense
plant expansion has been authorized.
The first thing that Mr.. Cooke did was
to direct quick reconnaissance OF avail
able machine capacity throughout the
country. He stresses that it was not a
survey, since a survey would have taken
too long and would have reused false
hopes that all the small concerns so
carefully surveyed were to participate
Immediately in the program.
The National Association of Manufac-
turers also is completing more or less
detailed survey of the Nations machine
capacity, with stress on the idle ma
chimes available. This will be useful
catalog. but it may serve to encourage
smaller manufacturers in false hopes OF
immediate work to come from defense
subcontracts Results of the survey are
to be announced shortly.
Engineers sent out by Mr.. Cooke
looked over ghost towns and ghost fac
tories. Their reports when assembled
gave fairly comprehensive overall pic
ture of the tools and the men who were
idle, and waiting to be given defense
tasks. In order to dramatic the waste
of men and machines, Cooke made lists
available of ghost towns and factories.
He wanted to show large manufacturers
what facilities we're at hand if they
would only make use of them.
Results of Survey.
For example, in Western Kentucky his
scouts found a well-equipped machine
manufacturing plant employing rs me-
chanics, capable of doing the highest
quality precision work and at present
operating only one shift. In an indus
trial county in Western Pennsylvania the
owners of manufacturing plants with
considerable machine tool capacity had
pooled all their facilities and were re-
ported ready, working as single plant,
to execute orders for Government or
Government contractors"
In the Tennessee Valley numerous
small manufacturing plants were re-
ported with idle capacity available for
turning out a wide diversity of national
defense products such as bandages first
aid kits, small ceramics, ammunition
components from plasticS, fatigue uni
forms, parachute webbing, tent heaters,
machine tools and special machines. In
the Middle West group of small shops