Evening star., 1941-03-28
0. P. N. Reorganizes
Purchases Division
To Expedite Buying
Nelson Divides Group
Into Six Units; Rise of
Quicksilver Price Hit

Reorganiza ton Of the Office of
Production Managements Division
of Purchases and a number of steps
designed to expedite procurement
and buying of supplies for the de-
fense program were announced to-
day.
Donald M. Nelson, defense director
OF purchases, outlined separation of
his division into the following sub
groups:
l. Contract clearance-Col. Hiram
S. Brown Of Chestertown, Md, and
Rye, N. Y, will head the branch
which will pass on all major Army
and Navy contracts before awards
are made.
2. Industrial and strategic mate
rials-John Sanger of Chicago, on
leave OF absence from the United
States Gypsum Co., will be chief of
the branch assisting in the buying Of
items presenting unusual purchasing
problems, such as fuel and medical
supplies.
3. Subsistence-Howard Cunning
ham, New York City, on leave from
the National Biscuit Co., will direct
the branch which includes experts
in all fields of the food trade who
help the Army Quartermaster Corps
buy foodstuffs. John A. Martin of
Oak Park, H., will head the perish
able foods section of the subsistence
branch.
Others Chosen.
4. Equipment and supplies-Don-
aid G. Clark of Pittsburgh, on leave
from the Gulf Oil Corp, will handle
problems relating to the purchase of
such items as lumber and building
materials, electrical supplies, paints
and laundry equipment.
5. Clothing and equipage-Walter
P. Becker of New York City, on leave
from the j. c. Penney Co., will head
the branch which will work with the
Army Quartermaster Corps in pro-
curing shoes, uniforms, blankets,
tents and personal equipment for
soldiers.
6. Planning and cost estimating
Eric Camman, partner in the New
York firm of Peat, Warwick, Mitchell
& Co., accountants and auditors, will
direct the branch which will study
the cost of production of articles
needed in the defense program.
Paint Men to See Nelson.
Mr.. Nelson said also that a cam
paign to assure adequate supplies of
paints. varnishes and lacquers for
defense purposes will be launched
tomorrow morning, when about 40
representatives of the industry meet
at his Office here:
This group, representing some 300
to 400 makers of raw materials and
1900 manufacturers of finished paint
products, is expected to name an
advisory committee to work out the
problem of meeting defense needs
with as little disturbance as possible
to civilian trade.
Meanwhile, Leon Henderson, de-
tense commissioner of price Stabili-
zation. issued a warning that the
current price of quicksilver Is too
high and that lower level can and
should be reached. The present
price of $3.50 for flask of 76- pounds,
he said, represents a "skyrocketing
rise" from the August, 1899, price of
s84 flask. Quicksilver is used in a
number of vital defense products,
notably precision instruments and
gauges.
Machine Tools,
To strengthen controls on produc-
ton and distribution of machine
tools. E. r. Stettinius, jr., defense
director of priorities, announced that
number of machine tool builders
have been given limited blanket
preference ratings of Ala to aid
them in requirement of materials
needed to expand their plants and
that orders of the Army. Navy and