Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-29

lCOnUlnueQ from F9rSt PaRe.)
mittee questioned Ferdinand Eber-
stadt, WPB vice chairman, for nearly
four hours in an executive session
yesterday. 1t was the second day
Mr.. Eberstadt had appeared before
the group conducting hearings on
the Pepper-Tolan bill to set up an
Office of War Mobilization for civil
ian control of manpower, production
and procurement.
Most of the session, it was under
stood, was devoted to further dis
custom of the new materials splan,
which Mr.. Eberstadt helped to draft.
A committee spokesman said the
vice chairman might be called for a
third session. Later, Chairman Pep
per was asked his opinion of the
plan. He replied, II don't think you
can expect the finger to do the work
Of the hand
The reorganization of WPB was
said to involve four major moves
installation of the new materials
plan; reorganization of the WPB
layout, creation of the Controlled
Materials Division, eliminating
some useless divisions, CONSOLIDATE
Ing others; establishment of pro-
duction programs for the Army,
Navy, Office of Civilian Supply and
other claimant agencies, so that the
demand for materials is within the
available supply, and re-examina-
ton of personnel so that dead
wood is cleaned out.
Morale Found Low.
In shaking up WPB, officials
found that the morale of employees
was very low. As one official ex-
pressed it, 1--WE found many good
men with their tails between their
legs" The morale is said to be i'm
proving.
officials say the Nations steel
supply problem has showed marked
improvement in recent weeks. One
cause of improvement was the an
nouncement of the new materials
plan which freed an enormous
amount of boarded steel and other
metals. Under the plan, manufac-
turers are allowed to use only the
amount Of metal authorized, re-
CARELESS OF the state of their in
ventories. Hence, there is no incen-
tive to hoard.
The steel scrap situation likewise
has improved. Industrial scrap has
moved quietly to mills in huge
amounts. While it was described as
mot a drop in the bucket" as com
pared with metals cleaned from in
dustry, the scrap collected in the
Nationwide campaigns also has
helped.
Copper Situation Critical.
The copper supply situation was
described as considerably more crit
ical, While there is sufficient cop
per at the present time, increased
goals of munitions production will
SiVdeS a tCliAiiS dCilldild. ENSllludllN
it may be necessary, an officia
said, to salvage bronze doorknobs
and other building fittings in order
to meet the copper demand. He
said the Government hardly would
embark on campaign to dismantle
statutes, because copper gained ir
this way was too expensive.
Best method of increasing stocks
of copper, the official said. was tic
dig it out of the ground" With
this in view, WPB will carry out g
campaign to stimulate mine pro-
duction. The official described the
amount which would be realized
from calling in all the pennies in
circulation as "piddling"
In the WPB reorganization the
Army and Navy Munitions Board
which. earlier in the year when il
was headed by Mr. Eberstadt as
chairman, was reported as in con-
tinual conflict with the board, has
been quietly integrated with WPB
Individual planning units of the
ANNfB have been left intact tic
take over after the war" in &C.
cordance with the WPB Army
agreement of last summer.
War i0h for housewives! Heir