Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-27
New Billions Used
As Giant Bomber
Program Starts
Many Metal Working
Firms Enlisted in
Huge Task
ST. cial Dispatch to The Star.

ST. ecial Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, May 27.-Expansion
of facilities to handle the huge new
Government program for bombing
planes is occupying the main atten-
ton of large segment of the metal
working industry, reports Burnham
Finnery in today's issue of American
Machinist.
This program, he states, is so vast
that it will mean so per cent in
crease in output of many companies
in the aircraft parts business. En-
larged operations will be achieved by
farming out substantial portion OF
the new load. though some plant
construction is contemplated.
Plenty of Government money, at
least $4,000, 100000, is available now
for the building of more munitions
factories necessary to meet the
speed-up timetable and expanded
program formulated in Washington.
That is on top of the billions already
contracted for in new plants.
Tool Shipments Rise.
Shipments of machine tools IN
April are estimated at $50, 300, 900,
compared with $57 100000 in March
and s54 100000 in February. In the
January-April period the industry's
production was double the volume
for the same period year ago. 1t
is considered likely that the stimulus
of new defense projects will raise
the industry's operations to a basis
of 5000 100000 a year by the end OF
1941. The bomber program alone is
now believed to require upward OF
$500 ,0OO,OOO worth of machine tools
which must be ready for production
by July l, 1912.
To aid machine tool builders in
expanding production to meet
bomber manufacturing require
ments without having to wait for
| formal orders, a pool of 5000, 600, 600
has been established from which So
called floating orders will be allot-
ted for the production of critical
machines. The urgency for more
anti-aircraft guns had made 1t
necessary to take machines orig
! inally destined for other defense
contractors off the assembly floors
of machine tool builders and send
them to gunmakers.
Rail Orders Mount.
With 67,727 freight cars on order,
more than at any time since 1925
1Nonr,oatiuo thao at
| any time since 1926, the railroads
are trying desperately to meet the
pinch that is coming this fall. Some
$4,000 freight cars were placed in
service during the first four months
of this year, with 100000 new cars
scheduled for service by the end of
the year. The Association of Amer
lean Railroads at its Chicago meet
ing announced plans for building
100000 freight cars, costing approx
mately $4,000, 000, for delivery dur
ing 1912 and 1943
The program should be within
capacity providing priorities for
steel are furnished and the arma-
ment work which many of the COM
panies have taken does not interfere.
Railway equipment manufacturers
have contracted for two-thirds of
the orders for Army tanks amount
ing to S183 $4,000; this does not in
clude figures for 500 British tanks
which the Pullman Co. is building
Recently announced, New York Cen
trail is buying an additional SILL
100000 worth of equipment, bring
ing its total since January l to $685.
100000.
Steel Records Set.
Running % out of % blast fur
naces, Carnegie Illinois is at the
highest rate and tonnage capacity
ever. 1t is reported that some rail-
way car builders may not be able to
get steel to meet their June COM
mitments.
Construction of the proposed oil
pipe line from the midcontinent
fields to the Atlantic Coast would
require 100000 tons of steel The
line can be built in nine months OF
less. Congress will pass necessary
| legislation granting right. of way
but according to present plans the
line will be built privately.
Cleveland Tractor has received 8
100000 order for $50 high-speec
tractors for use by the Army All
Corps. International Harvester re.
ports that military contracts viii
comprise about 20 per cent of thai
company's estimated 1871 output
Orders now total $60000,000. Tit
demand for farm machinery con.
tinues strong. Since farm equip.
ment manufacturers are large user.
of steel, these companies are search.