Evening star., 1942-07-23
Senators Confident
House Will Pass
Grain-Rubber Bill
Presidential Veto Seen;
WPB Studies Industry's
PIon for CiviIion Tires
~ the Associated Press.

pendent grain-rubber setup de-
spite forecasts of a presidential
veto.
Both sides said they thought
President Roosevelt would veto
the legislatio which calls fol-
an agency to direct manufacture OF
synthetic rubber from grain alcohol
independent OF Production Chief
Donald M Nelson.
Meanwhile, the War Production
Board was examining the rubber
industry's plans for meeting the
civilian tire problem. but thus far
had found that there is no rubber
of any kind available for anything
except the most essential purposes.
Little Opposition Seen.
Senator'S Thomas, Democrat, OF
OF Iowa, farm bloc sponsors of the
rubber agency measure, regarded
House adoption as foregone con-
clusion. The House Agriculture
Committee has unanimously recon-
mended passage of the bill by Rep
resentative Fulmer. Democrat. of
South Carolina, which duplicates
the bill voted without a roll call by
the Senate yesterday
The Senators expected no more
opposition in the House than that
In the Senate, where Democratic
Leader Barkley alone took the floor
to assail any legislation that would
deprive Mr.. Nelson of control over
the whole rubber program.
The President will veto the bill"
said Senator Thomas, but we have
enough votes to pass it over his
veto"
When time for a Senate vote
came. and with less than dozen
Senators on the floor, Senator Bark
ley yielded to majority sentiment
and permitted passage without a de-
mand for a roll call. :
Farm Senators Stand.
The farm Senators had argued
that little consideration had been
given by the WPB and the Rubber
Reserve Corp. to the use of alcohol
from farm and forest products in
the processing of butadiene, a prin-
cipal component of buna S type rub
ber, and obtainable from both alco-
hol and petroleum.
The agency contemplated under
the bill would be empowered to con-
sduct research. enter into contracts
and lend money to encourage man.
ufacture of rubber from farm and
forest products.
A statement issued last night by
Rubber Co-ordinator Arthur New
hall said the rubber industrys tire
program called for use of 3,188 tons
Of thlokol retreading material and
32.475 tons of butyl synthetic rubber,
but that only about $4,000 tons of
the two substances would be made
this year.
Says Motorists Must Aid.
Mr.. Newhall added that the rub
Der industry program could be
adopted only IF we can spare the
reclaimed rubber, the crude rubber,
the thiokol and butyl. and if all
motorists would engage only in es-
sential driving and if motorists will
cut speeds to 40 miles an hour and
If they take the best care of their
tires"
The rubber co-ordinator said
earlier at press conference that
the Government would try to supply
= every automobile in the country
with tires, simultaneously limiting
all driving to essential purposes. He
said no method Of limitation of driv-
ing appeared feasible except ration
ing Of gasoline on a Nation wide
basis.
Several hours after the rubber CO.
ordinator made this statement the
Once of War Information issued a
memorandum to the press quoting
Mr. Nawhall as saying:
The best evidence I have before
me shows that there is no rubber of
any kind available for anything ex-
cept the most essential purposes
Fails to Define Term.
Although he had told reporters
that essential purposes would in
clude personal emergencies, such
as transporting member of the
family to hospital, Mr. Newhall
uCCllllCO W lCllllC LID uSC vi Vic
term to general press conference
later in the day
Asked is there essential driving
In every carp" he refused to reply.
He told reporters that it appeared
possible to grant the rubber industry
the 1882 tons of crude rubber needed
in the industry. plan, but that it
would not be possible to allow the
97,420 tons of reclaimed rubber also
asked.
Owls handout quoted Newhall:
If we take any crude rubber at
all from the stockpile, we will be
taking it away from the only guar
anteed source of crude rubber that
we can see
Rationing Base "to Stay"
While he had told reporters that
the WPB's goal in supplying tires
to civilians would involve a broad =
ening of the tire rationing program
he told the press conference that
The best evidence I have now is
that the Tationing) base will stay
as it is now fixed by OPA'' and Il
now see no possibility of broadening
the base"
DR.. Harry S. Rogers, chief of
WPB's rubber and rubber products
branch, meanwhile, likened the rub
Der industry's plan to using our
small supply of scrap rubber for
vacation ride" when it should be
held to meet contingencies of the
war program.
1t was only four months ago,
DR.. Rogers said, that people were
looking for scapegoat because the
stockpile Of crude rubber was not
large enough. Now with the scrap
rubber drive, we have a little scrap
rubber pile to be mixed in with
crude rubber for military contin-
eencieS. The whole question is
should we use this rubber for a
vacation ride?"
Military Needs.
DR.. Rogers said there is still the
possibility that the military require
ments for rubber may be increased
by change in the extent and scope
OF the grand strategy.