Evening star., 1941-10-21
O.. P. M.
Continued From First Page

services have made purchases of
scarce materials in such large guam
Titles and so far in advance Of the
time the materials will be needed
that many essential current re-
quirements cannot be met.
Need Of Hoarding Doubted.
These manufacturers contend
and some defense officials are
known to agree. that so long as
future needs Of the Army and Navy
can be assured by o. P. M there IS
no necessity for the services TO &C
cumulate huge inventories.
One defense leader expressed sur
prise recently at the fact that. while
the Army and Navy could give esti-
mates of the total amount of cop
per and other metals that would
be required to fulfill contracts ex-
tending a year or more they could
give no accurate calculations of
their present month to month re-
quirements.
Under the priorities policy out
lined bv S. P. A. B. today's devel-
opments indicate definitely that
the board is leading up to direct ra-
tioning of scarce materials 10 the
Army and Navy as well as to essen
tial civilian industries.
The copper restriction order was
described by o. P. M as the tough
est and most far-reaching action
OF it's kind vet taken" in the defense
program. 1t prohibits use Of copper
or copper alloy sheet. strip or
screening in connection with build
ing construction, except where nee
essary for minor repairs and main
tenance C'but not replacement')
after November l.
Limited Exceptions Arranged.
Limited exemptions are to be
made in the case of contracts for
the Army, Navy and other key Gov
eminent agencies, lease-lend con-
tracts. usage of copper essential to
compliance with underwriters or
Government safety regulations,
usage as a conductor for electricity.
in chemical plants. research labora-
tories and in oil refining, steam and
electrical generating plants.
Between now and January !, &C
cording to the order. the amount
of copper in an extended list Of
civilian articles must be restricted
to about so per cent of the amount
used in a 1910 base period. And,
save for exemptions already named
and certain uses in non-decorative
plating where other forms of coat
ing are impractical, use of copper
in manufacture of the articles is
forbidden fatty after the first of the
year.
The list of articles includes house.
hold equipment such as candlesticks,
screens, cuspidors, door knockers,
letter boxes and weather stripping;
dress ornaments and handbag fit
tings, burial caskets and vaults,
gifts and novelties, automotive,
trailer and tractor equipment.
Among miscellaneous items listed
are bar fittings. chimes and bells,
barrel hoops and fire extinguishers.
Contractors Affected Little.
Advised of the restriction order.
several contractors here expressed
the opinion that it changed Their
situation very little because already
it is virtually impossible to obtain
building supplies containing copper
without the benefit of a very high
priority rating.
Asked what provision might be
made for contractor who is hold
ing copper screens or other copper
articles for installation
next year into buildings already
partly finished, one o. P. M. official
said that permission would have to
be obtained for the installation.
THE chances are the pre-fabri-
Gated copper could not be utilized
readily for defense use and that the
would be permitted to 90
ahead with his plans, but each case
probably would have to be decided
on It's own merits" he explained.
In letter to Senator Wiley OF
Wisconsin, made public yesterday,