The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-13

cess the magnesium that we're short of.
 IN
 GOOD HANDS
 So there's @ Division Priorities in the Ofiice of Production Man agement to take care of all this and to see that everyone is done right by. The division is headed, as you know by E. R. Stettinius, Jr., of the United States Steel Stettiniuses, who is perfectly competent to ham de all this confusion and there is no need to be alarmed about 1t. It Is unquestionably confusing to the little man who is pumping into the priorities system for the first time, and that's what q good many of the letters are about.
 Sooner but not later, the divi- sion Is going to require @ pretty complete inventory of all stocks of critical materials, on hand, on or- der, in process of manufacture. That will mean not only a much larger staff in Washington but also field force and probably some inspectors to see that there is no cheating.
 The latest monthly prlorities critical list of Items for which preference ratings are authorized numbers 220. It includes large Items from drydocks. floating, to small items like insignia, uniform. Only eight are 50 scarce as to re- quire preference ratings on every order. These are: Aluminium, magnesium, nickel, nickel steel, tungsten, neoprene (artiAcial rub ber) machine tools and zinc. Zinc has e trick control by which all producers put l7 per cent of their output into @ pool which IS ade- quate for distribution among man. ufactrrers of army and navy equipment.
 When, therefore, Joseph d'Oakes wants say an electric motor for his gadget factory, he doesn't have to get @ preference rating If the manufacturer has what he wants in stock; even though electric mo. tors are on the critical list of 220 items. If the manufacturer is tied Up with defense orders, however, and can't stop to make special motor for the d0akes plant, Joe will have to get hls preference rating and show that the gadgets he makes are essential to the completion of drydocks, floating or insignia, uniforms, or some. thing.
 Supposing, now old man d'oakes wants 0 new turret lathe for his gadget factory, That's different. Lathes, turret, are tools, machine. And machine tools are one of the eight items for which preference ratings are required in every case.
 The doakes Company will have to write the Division of PrioritieS, Ofilce of Production Management, Washington, D. O., and get forms to fill out. The forms are two in number, PD-1 and PD-1A. PD-1 Is the application for preference rat- ing, e simple little thing of il ques- tions on four pages. It must be filled out in quintuplicate and sworn to before a notary public.
 TAKES SOME
 SWEARING
 When properly completed, these forms are sent to the machine tool manufacturer, who must fill out form PD-lA, the supplier's state- meant relating to application for preference rating. This form is of only two pages on one sheet, but 1t must be filled out in sextuplicate and sworn to.
 The papers then 90 to Wash- ington. D'Oakes keeps ono copy, but It's probably just as well not to know what happens to the other four or i've. Anyway, whenever, whoever is going to do anything about them has done 1t, and If 1t Is decided that the D'Oakes dadget Company, Inc, Is most certainly entitled to one new or second -hand turret lathe, then the Division of Priorities fills out form PD-2, which tells the Gim- mick Machine Teol Company to go ahead and make delivery to the D'Oakes Gadget Company, Inc.
 It isn't all as complicated as this sounds. Once e business man has gone through this rigmarole, it's easier the second time, but 1t is illustrative of the importance of priorities, and why 1t is neces- sary to check up on every order of every item
 There is before Congress now a new bill to give the Division of Priorities more authority to com- pei the production of war mate rials, instead of merely control- ling the distribution of them, which Is all the present law allows. Most important of all, 1t will entitle the President to obtain full information on inventories, inspect plants and in general pre- vent leakages of materials from defense to non-defense produc- ton.
 Tn It's most recent naneuver on the priorities front, the govern ment has applied rigid inventory controls to IS metals.
 CARBAGEP PRODUCTION TO RISE