Evening star., 1942-09-30

ALI VI CllC oCPtCIIlOCl ~ COllt
pounds has been sent to the whole-.:
salers' yards, but approximately so
retail dealers are working at top
speed on September q pick-ups.
Philip Smith. wholesale junk
dealer and member of the Com
missioners' Emergency Scrap Sal
wage Committee, estimated today 1t
would take at least 10 days for re-
tailers to deliver the scrap to the
four wholesalers and another three
weeks after that for the processing
before the metal can be sent to the
mills.
Army Trucks Assist.
The assistance of 80 Army trucks
relieved the situation yesterday and
the D. C. Salvage Committee an
nounced that the Army trucks
would be mobilized again as soon as
possible, probably later in the week.
Despite the tremendous effort
made by retailers and the timely
assistance of the Army. the 81 scrap
heaps constituted serious problem
yesterday. with reports current
throughout the District that scrap
thieves were helping themselves to
available and usable items.
This situation became so critical
in the late hours of the day that
Maj. Edward j. Kelly, superintend-
ent of police, issued an order to COM
manders of precincts to detail Of
f1cers at each scrap depot until the
scrap has been removed.
William A. Xanten, District refuse
chief, meanwhile, announced that
Sundays collection was greater by
five truckloads than he had origin
ally reported.
1880 Loads Sunday.
His first tally showed the western
! half of the District had sent 1885
truckloads to the depots, but later
checkup moved this figure to 1890,
increasing the estimated collection
In pounds from 5,242 600 to 5,252 900
for the two Sunday superdrives.
From sickbed yesterday, Horace
Walker, executive secretary of the
D. C. Salvage Committee, issued a
scrap estimate slightly higher than
Mr.. Xanten's figure.
Mr. Walker said that approx
mately 5,325,000 pounds of scrap
metal was collected in the two Sum-
day drives, rs per cent of it COM
ing from households and Is per cent
from small business houses. He
cautioned again that the figures are
approximate, not exact.
He also said that the D. c. Sal
wage Committee, over a period of
several months, has collected 49,
600, 1000 pounds of metal. rubber,
rags and paper and that up to Sep
tember l, scrap iron and steel col
lecticns were 100000 pounds.
Included in this latter figure are
the approximately 10000, 900 pounds.
which have been collected in the
first three months of the month
drive ending January L, l943.
To Seek Other Sources.
Mr.. Walker revealed that his COM
mittee hopes to set up 900 salvage
depots in the District, about two
thirds of which are already es-
tablished.
Touching, in a general statement,
| the future plans of the committee,
Mr.. Walker said:
The committees job now will be
one of searching out sources of in
dustrial material and putting into
effect such programs having to do
with safes, pianos and even home
owners and institutional fences,
statues and ornamental metals"
He added that the tin can pro-
gram is one which must be decided
upon within the next week or 10
| days in order that Washington will
have tin can program comparable
| to other metropolitan centers."
Mr. Walker said conferences are
being held to iron out details of
the tin can salvage program and
the Commissioners are most desirous
that this campaign get under way as
soon as possible.
Other Items Vital.
Though the recent emphasis on
scrap collections has been directed
toward metal, Mr. Walker under
scored the. point that rubber, rags
and household fats are vital items
in the conservation peQgram.
| Rubber, rags and metal will be