Evening star., 1941-02-27
Campaign 10 Pool
Plant Facilities
To Be Launched
National Association
OF Manufacturers
Plans Drive

Pluns Drive
BY CHARLES E. HARNER.
Associated Press Financial Writer.
NEW YORK, Feb. 27.-Manufac.
turers throughout the Nation will be
asked within the next two weeks tc
form community pools" Of their IA
cilities to expedite defense produc-
ton.
This communal plan will be spon-
sored by the National Association OF
Manufacturers, it was learned today
A majority of the N. A. M. board
of directors, which will meet this
week to consider the project, is
known to favor its immediate appli-
cation on a Nationwide basis.
The action, it is understood, will
be based upon figures showing that
hundreds of thousands of man.
hours now available to defense man.
ufacturing are not being put to use
despite the administrations re-
peated pleas for speed-up of mu-
nitions making.
The N. A. M, on its own RESPONSE
bility, has been gathering data
throughout the country as to what
firms have Government contracts,
which are doing subcontracting
work, and what factories. without
defense work. are able to take it
on, at least on a part-time basis.
Preliminary reports from this sur
vey, which will be in progress for
at least another month, have re-
suited in the movement for COM
munity pools of manufacturers.
Two Methods Favored.
Two methods of pooling have been
selected as best adapted to the
United States. They are known as
the regional clearing and York
plans. Both are to be recommended
for adaptation to the needs of the
various manufacturing communities
of the Nation.
The regional clearing plan is a
theory originated by B. T. Bonnet
president of Bonnot Co., Canton
Ohio. 1t provides that the Govern
ment, through regional clearing
agencies, inform the manufacturers
of those areas just what types OF
defense products are required and
that local defense committees and
trained plant officials take the initia-
tive in searching out lines of action
and service which they know they
can perform and when they can
perform them"
Under this plan, the regional or
ganizationS could select volunteer
ing local plants to make required
parts and products for co-ordina-
ton with the national defense man.
ufacturing effort.
The York plan gets its name from
the fact that it has been under op-
Grafton since last July in York, Pa.
where one Of its founders, w. S
Shipley, chairman of York Ice Ma
chinery Corp, explained:
The manufacturers of York en-
tered this national defense move
ment Fundamentally from its very
inception and have, with every IA
cility at their command, backed up
the President in his endeavor to
not only prepare our own country,
but to assist Great Britain"
All Firms Cooperate.
Under the York plan, every man.
ufacturer of a community contrib
utes to common pool in his locality
all information concerning the tools
of his plant, the space he has availa-
BILE, the number and skill of his en-
ployes. and what idle machinery
and idle men he has available to
contribute to the community effort
Manufacturers holding Govern
ment contracts then can select from
this pool ready facilities to assist
them in filling the Government
orders. Two Government contrac-
tors Of York, for example, have
farmed out part of their work to Is
shops in the community which were
too small even to have considered
bidding for Government contracts
The York plan has worked so well
than man-hours of labor in one rep
resentative York shop have increased
26 per cent in the last four months
over the like period a year ago and
81 per cent over two years ago. Al
the same time, night work and over
time has increased 230 per cent over
year ago and 450 per cent over
two years ago.
An unusual feature of the York
plan is its so-called Golden Rule
feature. Since many of the black
smith shops and other small plants
called into production under the
pool have never before worked on
Government orders, they are per-
mitted to try their hands at the
business first before undertaking
fixed price agreements.
AS the York committee expresses
It: "Inasmuch as the subcontracts
were taken at a very close price, the
subcontractor should be assured OF
dI lcdS9 COIulilS OuI even.
Costs Ascertained.
Therefore, there Is an unwritten
rule that before a price is fixed on
a subcontract, the subcontractor
will have an opportunity to ascer-
tain his costs from actual operations
and a large number of orders are
placed with this understanding"
AS proof of the success of its pool
ing plan, York, with a population of
$1,000, is able to list an output of 20
specific defense products-including
gun mounts, machine guns, trench
mortars and shells-in a quantity
far above the capabilities of any
single factory In the area.