Evening star., 1942-04-20
Arms Output Scars,
.Curbs on Civilian
Goods frightened
Sugar Rotion Plon
To Get Under Way
eorIy in Moy
- The Associateo Press.


Steadily increasing military pro-
duction-paced by equally steady
curtsilments and stoppases Of civil
ian industry-and sharply acceler-
ated activity in construction fields
keynoted trends In the war pro-
gram today.
For consumers. ratoning made
important news. Some time during
the week of May Al, the Govern
ments sugar rationing program Is
to get under way and allowances for
the first two months thereafter will
be one-hah pound per person a
week. There were strong indications
that the first ration books issued
citizens might eventually be required
to obtain coffee, tea and possibly va
rious fats and oils Typewriter ra-
tioning was scheduled to begin to-
day
With non essential civilian build
ing construction al standstill,
builders nevertheless faced the most
profitable year in the industry's his
tory.
Building Up Sharply.
Latest War Production Board es-
Inmates Of the volume Of military
and civilian construction, including
airfelds, war plants, camps, ship
yards and war housing, for l942 ap-
proximate Sl3, ,750, 900 ,000-more than
20 per cent above total construc-
ton last year when record was
established.
Production Of four additional
types Of civilian goods was ordered
halted by w. p. B. last week, a
wide range Of plumbing and heat
ing stocks were frozen and manu-
facture Of phonograph records was
reduced 10 per cent because Of
shortage of shellac used to coat
them.
Other developments important to
business and industry:
Priorities:
Industries receiving greater pri-
ority assistance by orders issued
during the week include steel pro-
ducers who received higher ratings
for a certain proportion Of their
maintenance and repair require
ments, and mine operators, mine
machinery and equipment producers
and producers Of certain kinds OF
farm machinery.
In order to assure their distribu-
ton to operations most needing
them, heavy compressors have been
placed under complete ALLEGATION.
All used electric generating equip
ment and used steam boilers were
frozen.
Import Control Widened.
Exports and imports:
BY presidential order, the Board
of Economic Warfare was given ex-
tensive new power over imports and
the financing production and pro-
curement from abroad of essential
war supplies. The board also was
given control over the receipt OF
reciprocal lend-lease supplies, other
than munitions. and authority to
deal directly with the British min
istry of economic warfare and eco
nomic warfare agencies OF the other
United Nations.
Prices:
In view of a sharply increased
demand for wood pulp, the o. p. A.
established a schedule Of maximum
prices for both domestic and foreign
wood pulp. the o. p. A. establish
ing q schedule of maximum prices
for both domestic and foreign
wood pulp, holding prices approx
mately to levels prevailing for the
last two years.
Two notifications Of wide impor-
tance were made in the rayon gray"
goods price schedule. One will cor
rect a serious shift in production
away from types of goods needed
especially by clothing manufactur-
ers and consumers. The second ex-
tends the schedule to cover more
than 90 per cent of all rayon gray"
goods manufactured. thus in effect
doubling the scope Of the price reg
ulations.
To save small producers of an
thracite from operating at a loss
at a time when the Government
is asking for unusually high pro-
duction, the O. P A. eliminated the
requirement for seasonal discounts
on sales at the mines.
The copper and copper alloy scrap
schedule was modified to encourage
copper refiners to buy yellow brass
scrap for conversion to elecrolytic
copper. The schedule on hide glue,
an adhesive widely used in indus
trial production, was amended to