Evening star., 1942-03-13
Top-Grade Leather
Stocks Set Aside
For War Needs
80 Per Cent Of Entire
Supply TO Be Used
For Military Shoes
Ey the Associated Press.

The War Production Board last
night ordered that 80 per cent of
top-grade leather soles be set aside
for the manufacture and repair of
military shoes
1t estimated the order would ear
mark 3.840,000 pairs a month for
Army, Navy. Marine Corps and lend
lease requirements.
The action will relieve a shortage
of soles for military shoes and will
create surplus to guard against
Interruptions in the manufacture of
military shoes in the future"
The board noted that the directive
would leave 20 per cent of the top
grades-fine, semi-f1ne, imperfect
fine and No. scratch-and the
entire output of lower grades for
civilian use. More than 100000
outer soles of the lower grades will
be available for mems civilian shoes.
Cutters of shoe leather were in
Structed to reserve the specified
soles for sale only to manufac-
turers filling military orders. The
cutters were instructed to report
to the Boston quartermaster depot
by March q the amount of their
reserve stocks and to make full
reports of such stocks each so days
thereafter.
Washer Output to Halt.
Board officials told washing ma
chine manufacturers Yesterday that
large companies in their industry
probably would be required to stop
production on April Is and small
producers would be closed down a
month later.
The shutdown will be prelim-
mary to complete conversion of the
washing machine industry to war
production.
N. G. Burleigh, chief of the
w. P. B. Office machinery and serv-
ices branch, told industry repre-
sentatives that between March Is
and April Is large manufacturers
would be permitted to produce IL
times the amount of their February
production quota.
Small companies may manufac-
ture IL times their February quota
during the so days between March
Is and May Is.
No priority assistance will be
given producers in obtaining ma
terials necessary to produce these
quotas, Burleigh told the group,
although there may be exceptions
in special hardship cases.
The shutdown order will not apply
to production of replacement parts.
officials said, adding that the order
itself was not in final form and
was possibly subject to some re-
vision.
Bicycle Output Cut.
In addition. the board ordered a
AZ per cent curtailment in bicycle
output.
The bicycle decree will permit
production of only two so-called
victory models after this month,
one for men and another for
women. None will be made for
children.
The bicycle produced will be light
weight and stripped of all non
essential gadgets and brlghtWorK'
the w. P. B. said,
Between now and March 81 man
ufacturers are forbidden to pro-
duce more than AZ per cent of the
number of bicycles turned out in
the same period last year and none
may weigh more than Al pounds,
10 pounds lighter than the present
average weight.
More severe curbs are applied
from April l to June 80. The AZ
per cent limitation Is continued
and the specifications are cut to
victory model scale, which means:
/. No bicycle may weigh more
than 81 pounds.
2. Mems cycles must have dia-
mond-shaped frames.
8. The frame measurement may
not be less than 20 inches, thus
eliminating all but adult models.
a. With minor exceptions no
metals other than iron, unalloyed
steel, silver and gold may be used.
w. P. B. officials gave assurance
that bicycle manufacture would be
continued beyond June 80. The
elimination of juvenile models will
permit greater output of adult BIZ
cycles required to carry workers to
and from their employment in new
war factories.