Evening star., 1942-03-22
Nelson Makes Survey
OF Equipment Used
By Youth Agencies
Senate Group to Open
Hearings on Measure
Ending N. Y. A., c. c. c.

Assurance that National Youth
Administration and Civilian Con-
servation Corps equipment will be
put to the best use in the war pro-
gram came from officials involved
yesterday as a Senate Committee
prepared to consider bill to abolish
the two organizations.
The War Production Board,
Chairman Donald Nelson said, is
making a survey to determine
whether critical machine tools now
in the hands of training schools
should be made available directly
for production purposes, and will
"see to 1t" that they are distributed
properly.
Budget Director Harold D. Smith
announced. meanwhile. that the
War Department is taking control
over c. c. C. equipment made avail
able as the corps activities diminish.
He made no direct reference to
recent charges at the Capitol that
large amounts of valuable equip
ment were being destroyed or left
to deteriorate when C. C. C. camps
closed
McKellar to Press Inquiry.
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat of
Tennessee. author of the bill to
abolish the N. Y. A. and c. C. c. by
the end Of this year, indicated
yesterday that he would inquire
particularly into the amount of
tools In N. Y. A. training shops at
hearings scheduled to open before
the Senate Education and Labor
Committee at 1890 am. tomorrow.
I think the N. Y. A. has been
doing a good job in its training
school work" Senator McKellar said,
but this ought to be in the hands
OF the War Department now"
Committee chairman Thomas
said he was not forming any opinion
on the McKellar bill in advance Of
the hearings, but that he believed
the trained men turned out by the
N. Y. A. would be more valuable to
the war production effort than the
machine tools would be If they were
diverted from the training program.
Mr.. Nelson's statement followed
publication Of a story by the Balti-
more Sun that 10000 machine tools
and Woodworking machines were
concentrated in 125 N. Y. A. training
schools, many of which have not
yet been opened to students.
Nelson Outlines Position.
The War Production Board for
some time has been making a survey
of critical tools and equipment now
IN the hands of training schools
and universities, for the purpose Of
determining whether these tools
should be put to other uses and
made available directly for produc-
ton purposes in war plants" Mr..
Nelson said.
1T is extremely important, OF
course. to balance carefully two
factors-the immediate demand for
tools in war plants for production
and the demand for tools which
must be used to develop and train
skilled workers.
Each need Is important. The
problem must be examined in the
light of the overall need for get
ting as much production as possible
as quickly as possible. We are con-
tinuing our survey. We will take
whatever steps are proper and nee
essary to see to it that machine
tools are distributed tn the interest
of the war program.
Spokesman for the w. P. B. labor
division declared that the N. Y. A.
was playing an important part in
the program for training skilled
workers for defense industry. Most
of the N. Y. A. tools represent sur
plus Army equipment. they added.
Tools Outmoded, Hillman says.
Commenting on The Sun story,
Sidney Hillman. w. P. B. labor
director, declared that most Of the
tools held by the N. Y. A. are old,
reconditioned and largely insult
able for war production
Transfer of surplus c. C. c. equip
ment to the Army, Mr.. Smith said.
was being carried out under an act
Of Congress passed last December
giving the budget director authority
over any material declared surplus
by the Federal Security Admins
traitor.
The McKellar bill provides that
after its passage neither the N. Y. A.
nor c. O. c. could start any project
which could not be completed by
July 1. For the remainder of the
year, only such expenditures would
be authorized as are necessary to
wind up the affairs of the two
agencies by December 81.
The C. C. C. appropriations made
by the last Congress for the current
fiscal year was s246,960,0 900, but the
Budget Bureau has set aside $685.
100000 of that total as part OF a
reserve fund it is endeavoring to
save this year.
The N. Y. A. was given $l51 ,767 900
for the current year, including a
substantial allotment for defense
training programs, and OF that
0HlOuuG 1Io,fUO,oVo Ado OoCh SS'
aside by the Budget as reserve.
Senator Tydings. Democrat, OF
Maryland, chairman Of the special
Senate committee studying transfer
of Government personnel from nom
essential to war functions. made
this comment yesterday on the pro-
posed abolition of N. Y. A. and
c. c. c.:
They ought to be scrutinized, and
any activities not essential to win
hing the war should be curtailed."
The Joint Congressional Econ
omy Committee, headed by Senator
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia also has
recommended that NJ Y. A., c. c. c.
and the defense training work OF
the Office of Education be abolished,
and the task of training persons
for defense occupations merged In
one agency.