Evening star., 1942-04-19
Eight Federal Agencies Study
u. S. Rubber Supply Problem
Basic World Production and Trade Data Gathered
by Commerce and Agriculture Experts
Used by New Branches
Ry Oliver Mckee.

emily without knowing that the answers
to his questions were embodied in the
report which his superiors already had
received
Until comparatively recently. the eco
nomic reports prepared by foreign serv-
ice oficers abroad usually were sent only
to State. Commerce and Agricultural De-
partments. Now other agencies also are
asking for copies OF these reports. Among
these are the w p. B.. O. p. A. and the
Board of Economic Warfare
In several instances. too. the war
directly. Both the Board OF Economic
Warfare and the Co-ordinator of Inter
American Affairs have sent representa-
tives abroad on special missions Jerome
Cohen, formerly with the Rockefeller
organization, recently has been named
an adviser on Latin American economic
affairs to Price Administrator Hender-
son. His work. 1t was pointed out, will
embrace fields already covered by several
other agencies.
Container Studies CO. 0rdinated.
Federal bureaus have co-ordinated and
centralized their activities in one i'm
portant commodity group, that OF lum-
Der and forest products. In the past,
half a dozen agencies in Washington is
sued figures on lumber production, and
usually none of the estimates was in
exact agreement with any OF the others.
Established in June. 1899, the Forest
Industries Conference has taken steps to
coordinate lumber production figures,
through uniformity in statistical meth
DDS The conference, made up Of repre-
sentatives OF Federal agencies and in
dustry, is headed by Phillips A. Hayward,
chief of the durable goods and materials
meets monthly.
Another group, the Lumber and Tim
ber Products Defense Committee, meets
every two weeks to consider the war
problems of the industry. Represented
on this committee are about 10 Federal
departments and bureaus concerned with
developments affecting forest products.
A similar effort is now under way to
coordinate studies of containers by Fed
eral agencies. Because OF the shortages
of tin, steel and other materials new
types of containers must be developed
1t is thus essential that the Government
have complete information. heretofore
lacking, on the number of containers
needed by industry, stocks on hand, and
possible substitutes. At the request OF
w. p B. the Commerce Department has
undertaken a Nationwide survey Of
container supplies and the requirements
of industry.
Activities Overlap.
In view Of the fact that the Commerce
Department already had on hand COM
plete files of commodity and interna-
tional trade data, the action OF the war
agencies in building up their own COM
modify services, in the opinion Of many
officials Of the older departments, was
unnecessary, and has resulted at many
points in duplication of effort. BY ex-
panding and making greater use of ex-
isting facilities, the war agencies could
more quickly, and at less cost to the
Treasury. they say.
Many of the Commerce Departments
commodity and industrial specialists are
recognized as outstanding authorities in
their respective fields. Among the best
known are Everett G. Holt, expert on
rubber; Charles Z. Lund, specialist in
fats and oils; Joseph w. Palmer, author
ity on Steel and Fletcher H. Rawls, who
for many years has followed domestic
and international trends in foodstuffs.
Commerce experts are assigned to two
units of the Division of Industrial Econ
omy. The first, the consumption goods
and materials unit, deals with foodstuffs,
textiles, rubber. leather and skins, pulp
and paper, fuels, fats and oils and mer-
chandise
The other group, the durable goods
and materials unit. has jurisdiction over
machinery. automotive products and air
craft, chemicals metals and minerals
forests and "Specialties.
Each specialist keeps his eye on several