The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-10
. New York
Listening Post
"Horaiio Alser Hero"
Is New Rubber Boss
LETTERS Self-Msde Man
Who Acts Rather Than Talk
Fifty Years Service
With U. P. Outstanding
By ALBERT y. LEMAN

By ALBERT ~. LEMAN
The man who is going to unravel
the tangled skein Of the American
rubber situation quite frankly ad-
mits he doesn't know the first
thing about rubber. But, says
William NJ. letters. newly appoint
ed rubber car, he damn soon in
tends to find out about rubber"
and then he's going to pull all
stops on rubber conservation and
rubber manufacture.
1T won't take long TO find out
everything we need TO know" says
the 66-year-old president of the
Union Pacific railroad. TT is not
our way to take long"
And you believe him. Bill JEFF
fers, big and bald and heavy Of
jaw. doesn't look like one of the
dilly-dslly brotherhood which in
tests Washington's bureaus. He is
a tough Mick who's pappy, an Irish
immigrant, workd on the section
gang which laid the tracks for the
Union Pacific. Old Man LETTERS
came over here with a special con-
tingent of imported laborers.
Young Bill never cottoned TO
book-larnin'. He quit school at II
and went TO work as janitor in the
U. P.'s station at North Platee.
Neb. Like one of Horatio Ayers
sink-or-swin heroes. young LETTERS
began to climb the ladder so fast
he scorched the rungs.
Bill moved from janitor to teleg-
rapher TO clerk to dispatcher to
trainmaster. assistant superintend-
ent of the Utah, Wyoming and
Nebraska divisions, general man
ager, vice president, executive vice
president and finally, in 1887, pres
ident. His spon with Union Paci-
fic ran from 1890 to the present.
HE'LL BE MIR. RUBBER
LETTERS is going to work for a
dollar a year, and he is, according
WPBoss Donald Nelson. going to
be Mr.. Rubber. II am delegating
all my authority to Mr.. Jeffers."
Nelson said, announcing the APP
pointment. From this point on
any matter connected with rubber
is a matter. for Mr.. LETTERS deci-
sion, and I know he will do this
job"
As sole boss of rubber, Jeffers'
power will be immense. The Rub
Der Reserve Co. and all other gov
eminent agencies" have been in
structed by a special presidential
directive to obey Nelson to the last
inch. Nelson's delegation of that
power to LETTERS makes the Irish
railroadman one of the most po-
tent figures in our war effort.
LETTERS is to have full and COM
plete authority over synthetic rub
Der manufacture. from initial re-
search TO plant operation"
One of the first jobs letters
must attempt is a civilian rubber
conservation program.
During his press conference,
LETTERS swore he had no idea that
ne was being considered for the
job. Called from his home in
Omaha, he hoped a plane and
flew down to Washington. Mr..
Nelson wasted no words, but
dumped the job in his lap, despite
Jffers' declaration that all he
knew about rubber he had read
in the papers.
CRITICS ANSWERED
The controversy in Washington,
as TO whether il was smart to
invest a total stranger to rubber
with all the power Of a car, is
being answered pretty well. Chief
answer is that, knowing nothing
about the commodity, letters at
least won't make the early mis-
take Of prejudice in favor of any
particular kind of synthetic rub
Der. He is going into the job with
a wide open mind.
The other argument is that he
can't make any more of a mess of
his job than his expert predeces-
sors already have made. He is
gong to pursue closely the main
points in the Baruch report, and
his record as a self-made success
indicates he has more than suffi-
cient executive ability to handle
any sort Of an administrative job.
Although he has no plans as
suen, the rubber chiefs brain must
be Immediately concerned with six
points Of the Bsruch recommends
uon-a national 35-mile speed lin
1t; reduction of average annual
mileague to 5000; release Of more
rubber for recapping essential
cars; nationwide gas rationing; en-
forced inspection Of tires. and vol
untary tire conservation pending
nationwide gas rationing.
He must have plenty on the ball.
IT'S a long way up from a janitors
job to a railroad presidency.
. WAR QUIZ