Evening star., 1942-06-27
Eastern States Show
Great Improvement
In Rubber Collection
District TotoI Nearly
Two-Thirds Of Quote
OF 1000, 900 Pounds

william r. Boyd, jr., chairman
Of the Petroleum Industry War
Council, reported today that
Eastern States are showing
great improvement" in the COL
lection of scrap rubber after a
White House tabulation earlier
this week showed them tagging
far behind the West.
THE final results of this rubber
collection drive are goirg to surprise
a lot Of people," Mr.. Boyd said.
Don't let the results Of the first
week when the petroleum State
chairmen reported over 100000 tons
fool you"
Estimates Of the Nations scrap
rubber total have ranged as high
as 100000 tons.
Pennsylvania, which had the low
est per capita rate in the country
in the first oficial review, has
jumped from is pounds a person
to As pounds, Mr. Boyd said. Mas
sachusetts has gone up from % to
l.2l.
d. c. Nears 666,666 Pounds.
He gave no report for Washington
but the District Salvage Committee
yesterday announced that contribu-
tons here were approaching two
thirds Of the 1,000, ,000-pound mark.
Charity organizations collections
from shoe shops, fire halls and police
stations had swelled the total by
about $1,000 pounds.
Chairman Somers Of the House
Coinage Subcommittee investigating
the rubber situation, contended,
however. that testimony before his
group indicated that millions of
tons Of scrap rubber remain unac-
counted for"
His group Is sending out ques-
tionnaires asking scrap dealers, sal
vagers and others for figures on
present rubber stocks.
Mr.. Somers said that responsible
men In the rubber business had tes-
titled that there were vast stores Of
untapped rubber scrap in this coun-
try" the estimates ranging from S.
000, 900 to 5000 900 tons.
Want Auto Graveyard Stocks.
In Baltimore, Frank Montgomery
regional chief of the auto graveyard
section of the War Production
Board, ordered auto graveyard own
ers in Washington, Maryland, Vir-
ginia and Delaware to turn in every
ounce" OF scrap rubber by Tuesday
night.
This is not a request" he said
This is an order and there will be
no extension Of time. OF course, we
do not want usable tires. We want
the scrap rubber.
Mr.. Montgomery said that in
spectors we're listing tires available
for scrap and that the lists will be
checked later against the number
actually turned in.
In a move to bring scrap rubber
prices in line with maximums prev
iously set on old tires and tubes, the
once of Price Administration to-
day placed ceilings on prices
charged consumers and reclaimers
for all types Of scrap.
The maximums are approximately
the levels prevailing in the last
quarter OF 1941.
viii Steady Market.
Omcials said the ceiling would
stabilize and smooth out distortions
in the scrap rubber market. facili-
tating operations of retaining
plants and assuring scrap dealers
ready and favorable disposition.
Meanwhile, w. E. Reynolds, COM
missioner OF public buildings of the
Federal Works Agency, issued a
statement explaining why his bu-
reau has refused to contribute rub
Der floor mats to the salvage drive
These mats are indispensable to
the safety of the general public and
Government employees in rainy
weather" Mr.. Reynolds said. They
we're put into use on wet floors in
certain Government buildings be-
cause there were numerous in
stances Of persons slipping and fall
ing and suffering sprained ankles,
cuts. bruises and other injuries.
"As for the mats. their intrinsic
value Is not great, but their value
in their present use as accident
preventives Is incalculable. The
Public Buildings Administration is
their custodian. under legal obliga-
ton to safeguard them. We could
no more turn in these mats ar
bitrarily than we could give away
the Governments typewriters or
the Treasury building"
Collected Mats Retrieved.
While Mr.. Reynolds made no ref
erence to the incident, it was re-
called that the PBA earlier this
week retrieved certain mats in the
new Interior building which had
been gathered up after Secretary
Ickes ordered a rubber roundup in
his department.
Mr.. Reynolds said that all super
intendents and custodians of hun
dreds" of public buildings have been
directed to conduct "a thorough
going roundup Of all surplus rub
ber'-but not the mats.
Mr.. Boyd. meanwhile. paid tribute
to the small boys of America. par
ticularly the organized Boy Scouts. :"
who have been conducting concerted
drives to get In the scrap rubber.
Senator Ellender, Democrat. Of
yesterday displayed on the
Senate floor a rubber doll con-
tributed by q 5-year r-old constituent
with the word
II love my dolly, but love Uncle
Sam better"
The Senator put the letter-from
Beverly Ann Pecora Of Independ-
ence, Lain the Congressional Rec
ord.