Evening star., 1941-08-22
50% Reduction Seen
In Output Of 1912
Model Automobiles
Larger Slash Predicted
Than 26h% Ordered
In Four-Month Period
BY the Associated Press.

by the hSSOCldIeQ FTSSs.
A drastic so per cent curtailment
appeared probable today in the pro-
duction Of 1912 model passenger au-
tomobiles.
Such a cut would mean an output
of 2,148500 units-the lowest since
1934-as compared with the 4 4,297 900
cars that rolled off the assembly
lines in the last IL months.
Defense officials made their fore
cast of the reduction yesterday in
announcing that production during
August, September, October and No.
vember-the first four months of
1912 model year-would be slashed
26la per cent. A large curtailment
Is expected in the subsequent
months.
The reduction was ordered to con-
serve scarce materials for the arms
program. Officials announced that
the industry had altered designs to
mingS and other ornamental parts
Of the cars.
Will Make More Trucks.
While passenger car production
will decline, officials said the output
of trucks must be increased for de-
tense needs and this was expected
to reduce to some extent unemploy-
ment in the industry. About 1,189,-
900 trucks will be needed in the new
model year, it was said. The last
model years total was about 200, 900
units below that figure.
The estimate includes trucks for
shipment to Russia, officials said,
as well as those needed for the
United States Army and Navy, de-
fense industries and other essen
tial transportation. They did not
disclose how many trucks would be
sent to Russia.
The Priorities Division of the o.
P. M. is preparing q blanket pref
erence rating designed to aid truck
manufacturers in obtaining scarce
materials quickly The preference
will apply only to the manufacture
of trucks with capacity Of ia
tons or more.
Sidney Hillman. associate director
of the o. P. NJ, said immediate
steps were being taken to Offset
the effects of the passenger car cur
tailment on employment. A joint
committee of industry and labor is
being formed, he said, to carry out
three-point program.
Transfer Of Workers Planned.
1t proposes:
Orderly transfer of automobile
workers to defense plants now be-
ing built by the automotive industry.
Cooperation with the employ
ment services Of Michigan and
other affected States to obtain jobs
for the displaced workers in other
defense industries.
Fitting of additional defense work
into facilities now devoted to pas
senger-car production.
The rubber industry expects lit
tie change in its employment as
a result of the automobile produc-
ton cut, spokesmen said at, Akron
They said increased motor truck
production for defense needs would
create a greater demand for truck
tires and Offset the loss in orders
for passenger-car tires.
1t was estimated 1,50000 fewer
automobile tires would be needed
during the four-month period COM
pared with the corresponding four
months last year, but that tires
would be needed for 100000 more
trucks during this period. Truck
tires, 1t was pointed out, require
more labor and material than auto
mobile tires.
Production Compared.
Passenger car production quotas
for the four months ending Novem-
ber 80, announced by o. p. M. and
Opacs, compared with production in
the same period Of last year, follow: