Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-28
Junk Drive
Would Aid
War Output
Useless Farm Machines,
Railroads Cited
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

THEY say there is a shortage
of scrap iron, steel and other
metals.
One of the best steel men I
know predicts we will make be-
tween four and five million
fewer tons of steel in 1912 than
in 194l, because of shortage of
ore and scrap.
OF course he is talking about
the visible supply only. There
is no way of getting good figures
on anything else. But. consider
ing the tremendous mountains
of steel we have produced over
the years. that seems a strange
state Of affairs.
Did you ever pass n typical
American farm and not see an
abandoned steel pillow or rake
or binder or some other imple-
ment pulled off into a corner Of
some field and left there TO rust
its shape away?
Usually in addition there is a
yard full Of similar Junk out be-
hind the barn or wagon sheds.
American farmers are unusually
careless in this regard.
HOW about the miles Of aban-
IL doned railroads which have
become little more than twin
streams of rust on half-forgotten
rightS-of-way - or dozens Of
other sources such as automo-
bile junk yards. ornamental iron
fences that are no longer orna-
mental, useless iron and steel on
houses of the early General
Grant period and so forth
OF course. il is true that some
IF the most Saleable Of this has
been culled over by Junk men
who have easy access 70 IL and
can drive good bargains But
YOU need only n glance around
10 know that tons of II still re-
main.
When 7 was a kid one Of our
principal sources Of revenue was
this kind Of stuff and old buffalo
bones obtained AZ great toll and
sold at little profit hat enough
or II would pay Tor a circus
ticket
In today'S much greater and
more urgent problem, the first
thing 10 do is 10 find out II there
is enough Of this stuff 10 con-
slider. whore II is and 10 organize
10 20 and get II.
NOR that We already have an
L ideal Sct-up really longing
for something 10 do 10 help win
the war the Boy Scouts.
Like everything else that has
been written in this piece, all
This is largely conjecture. but
the chances arc good that. II
this job were turned over 10
these boys under competent lead
erShip. YOU could get passable
survey made IN two weeks time
and If il showed favorably,
begin collection Immediately.
Scrap gathered in this way
would probably cost more than
tho market. but we are reaching
a point-lf We have not passed
whore cost i only one con-
sidcration and not the greatest
one At that The JapS and the
Germans found that out long
ago. Jesse Jones doesn't seem
to suspect IT,
There is another point on the
subject Of farm implements.
Secretary WIckard seems -
be worried about a shortage IN
farm labor | hope he hasn't
forgotten that in this new day
OF power farming 80 tractors,
whcat-lan1 plowS. hcadcr-Com-
bincS thrcc-row cultivators and
the likc-thcre is hardly a farm
in this country that is not over
englned for its beam which
means that il has 100 10 500 per
cent moro equipment than is
necessary 10 get out its normal
production
If that equipment and the
lcSSening supply of man power
were pooled on the Mount
Gilcad, Ohio. plan discussed
here a few days ago, there is.
almost no forSeeable limit N
which We could not GO in in
crcaSlng production. even on a
constantly decreasing supply Of
man power.
What we need is a little more
ingenuity and Imagination and
using what we have-aS the
jTDS fHvc done and a little less
swaShbuckling taking il out Of
tho hides Of tho American con-
sumner. which is about all we
have seen 10 date.
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