Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-04-17
WAR CHAIRMAN
OF PRODUCTION
TO HALT OUTPUT

War Production Chairman Nelson
said pending conversion orders, plus
those already issued, will virtually
halt production of civilian durable
goods within the next two months.
He said chief current bottlenecks in
conversion are machine tool shortages
and difficulties in expanding indus
trial facilities.
Chairman Nelson said expenditures
for munitions and war construction
during March exceeded $4,000 million,
with an additional $500 million for
pay and subsistence He reported
steel plate shipments in March set
an alltime record. In the first seven
days of April, he said, 444 labor-man-
agement committees reported they
had voluntarily organized to get War
Production Drives underway in their
plants. The War Department an
nounced it will place liason officer
at each Federal Reserve Bank to ex-
pedite the program of arranging Gov
eminent guaranteed loans for small
businesses in war production.
President Roosevelt, acting under
the Second War Powers Act, author
lied the WPB, War, Navy and Treas
ury Departments, Maritime Commits
sion and the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation to inspect war plants and
to audit their books. The inspections
will aim to avoid waste of Govern
ment funds and to implement meas
ures which have been undertaken to
forestall price increases. The Presi-
dents Committee on Fair Employ
ment Practice ordered 10 large COM
panies to cease discriminating against
workers because of race or religion.
The WPB prohibited unauthorized
residential construction costing more
than $500 except for maintenance and
repair, agricultural construction of
more than $1,000, and all other con-
struction costing more than $4,000.
The Board prohibited sale, purchase,
delivery or withdrawal from inventory
of any construction material for such
purposes. Projects of certain Govern
ment agencies and those to restore
property destroyed by fire or floods
were made exempt from the order.
Local Federal Housing Administra-
ton officers will determine whether
construction projects are eligible for
recommendation to the WPB. Appeals
from decisions of local FILA officers
may be made to a board composed of
the administrator of the order, rep
resentative of labor and third mem
Der who will represent the end pro-
duct branch of the WPB within whose
jurisdiction the class of project would
fall.
The WPB ordered reduction in
gasoline deliveries to filling stations
in II Eastern States, the District of
Columbia, Washington and Oregon,
effective April 16, from the current
four-fifths to two-thirds of the aver
age amounts they received in Deem
Der, January and February. Petro-
leum Coordinator Ickes said the re-
duction may remove the necessity for
card rationing of gasoline. Mr.. Ickes
announced the relocation of 1,400
miles of pipelines to increase East
coast oil supplies. The Board also
prohibited the installation of new
liquefied petroleum gas equipment.
The WPB curtailed radical style
changes in women's clothes and order
ed manufacturers and dressmakers to
eliminate excessive trimming in order
to save an estimated 100 million yards |
of material. The Board ordered pro-
duction of golf clubs halted May 81,
and limited amounts of tinplate for |
canning condensed soups. The Board
manufacture this year of
$4,000 freight cars and 300 locomo- |
tives in addition to $4,000 freight cars
and 926 locomotives previously au-
thorized. It ordered production Of |
17-35-horsepower tractors halted Sep
tember L.
The Office of Price Administration |
postponed the date for ratjoning type
writer's from April Is to April 20 be-
cause some congested areas had not
received supplies of application forms
and certificates. The OPA also broad
ened the eligibility base for purchase