Evening star., 1941-12-30
D. {. Scrap Material
Collection Program
Outlined at Meeting
Importance of Plan
To War Effort Cited
To District Leaders

Civic leaders. businessmen and
Government officials here today are
preparing for continuing program
for the duration of the war to save
all available scrap materials for in
dustrial use.
Meeting last night in the Social
Security Building, more than 90
prominent men and women were
given information for organizing
specific groups for the gathering of
waste paper, rags, scrap metal and
rubber for use in the national de-
fense effort.
The representatives of such Or
ganizatlons as merchant aSSocla-
tions. parent-teacher organizations,
charity groups, junk dealers and Dis
trict refuse collection divisions were
given an outline of what was ex-
pected here in the way of reclaimlng
cast-of material by citizens.
District and Federal officials
told the group of methods OF COL
lection and what vital scrap ma
GSI1dlS "O1S llSC0C4 W oAo oAAS w
fense program. Col. Lemuel Bolles,
District defense director, declared
the Nation was sincerely welled-up
with feeling for those who are de-
Tending out outpoSts and shores, as
he called on the group to exert every
effort to provide materials for their
use.
Conservation Urged.
Lessing j. Rosenwald, administra-
tor of the Bureau of Industrial Con-
servation of the Office of Production
MANAGEMENT, asked for conservation
of "all kinds of materials and add
ed, make them last as long as pos
sible.'
He outlined the bureaus work and
declared there were several main OBJ
iectiveS ahead. First, he said, there
were specifications for the various
Government agencies which must be
fitted and standardized Ito make
their needs fit what we have or can
find as a substitute"
Limitation Of variety, he declared,
would greatly add to materials
which could be placed in vital IN
dustrial war work. Locally, as well
as nationally, there must be SAL
wage of those articles which can
be reclaimed and returned to ac-
tive use in another form, Mr.. Rosen-
valid said, adding that paper, OLD
rubber, rags and a host OF other
used articles can be returned 1or
remanufacture.
Would Utilize Dormant Scrap.
He cited the fact that our steel
industry could fall far below war
needs if scrap steel and iron is not
brought out of cellars, the attic
and other storage places for return
to active use. He termed those items
which the local committee is called
on to search out as dormant scrap.
Mr.. Rosenwald expressed the hope
that Washington, as the national
CAPITAL, would set a high mark for
the Nation, though the group Will
act only for the city and not 1or
State as committees will. The col
lection here of cast-off materials
Is lust as much part OF our war
effort as anything a civilian can
do" he said.
James E. Colliflower. chairman OF
the District Salvage Committee, ex-
planned that an Executive com,
n1ittee of the full committee Woulo
be named later. In remark1ng that
the provision of scrap material IS up
to the individual, he declared the
"big problem is to get civic groups
behind the movement" He cited
the Federation of Citizens Assocla-
tions and other groups which have
made preparatory arrangements TO
meet the emergency.
Paul C. Cabot, deputy admins
traitor of the Bureau of Industrial
Conservation. presented statistics on .
reclaimed material needs. AS an |
he pointed out that DUR
ing the next - months we will need |
2 500 900 tons of copper. as compared
with less than 100000 tons this
wear OF these amounts, more than
80 per cent must be expected from |
reclaimed copper and not from raw
materials. AS in the case OF copper,
it is increasingly hazardous to rely
on foreign shipments, he pointed out.
W.P. A. Labor Suggested.
It was suggested that w. P. A.
labor be used for local collections
or such charity agencies as the
Salvation Army. School children
also could be used to gather scrap
for dispatch to regular dealers.
Horace Walker, executive secretary
of the local committee, pointed out
that this was not a campaign but a
duration of the war" drive to seek
out all possible materials which
could be reclaimed and put to use.
He added that the local committee,
under the direction of Mr.. Colll-
flower, will function independently
of nearby areas, since Virginia and
Maryland have State committees to
act in the same capacity.
Details of collections will be ar
ranged by the Executive Committee,
it was announced, though charity
organizations and regular waste ma
terial gathering companies will con-
tinue working under increased pres
sure. In this connection, it was an
nounced that one firm had enlarged
Its work week to care for the increase
in business such as is expected by
the new demand for materials which
may be used again for defense pur-
poses.