Evening star., 1942-08-06
Old Printing Plate
Metal Salvage
Ordered by WPb

OPA Begins Grocery /
Store Check in s. Cities
On 90 Food Items
The War Production Board acted
today to salvage critical materials
now idle In obsolete printing plates
by ordering that owners OF the old
plates be denied metal for new ones
after october l.
Printers and publishers who OBJ
tain new metal must certify on their
purchase orders that they do not
possess any obsolete plates. Pur-
pose of the order, it was explained,
was to clean out existing stocks of
old electros, cut, stamping dies, zinc
and aluminium htho plates and gra-
vure cylinders. Stereotypes and
standing type were not included.
Plates having IAN assured future
use" are excluded. In this category
are such things as cuts in newspaper
morgues which illustrate subjects
still In the public eye; plates for
books not generally subject to re-
vision and which normally are re-
printed at long intervals, and stock
and standard cuts used in CONNER
cial printing.
The order establishes the follow
ing time limits for obsolescence:
Newspaper printing plates not
used for one year. Magazine and
periodical printing plates not used
for a year. Book printing plates not
used for four years. Container
printing plates not used for four
years. and all other categories u1-
used for two-and -one- half years.
Distribution factors involved In
wholesale and retail marketing OF
the nations 90 most important food
commodities, including nearly every
substantial item purchased by the
housewife, will be surveyed In a
sample poll of grocer operations to
be taken in Sc cities throughout the
country. The study will be made
by Bureau of Labor Statistics repre-
sentatives under supervision OF the
Office of Price Administration.
The men and women who will
conduct the survey left Washington
last night. The studies will embrace
all types of wholesale and retail
procers. Results are designed pri-
marily to amplify OPA's existing
information on the price contro!
problems relating to distribution OF
food products. The surveys Will
cover costs. selling prices. gross
margins and total store dollar sales
OPA turned down appeals OF
pleasure boat owners along the East
Coast for increased rations OF gas
oline on the grounds that their
present meager fuel allowances
virtually deny them the use OF the
craft.
Boat owners were asked to use
the limited gasoline to keep tneii
vessels In the water and In COM
mission SO they will be ready to
enter military service should the
need arise.
The gasoline allowance for In
board power boats Is 1 gallons pei
horsepower with a maximum OF z5e
gallons for a six-month period. TIT
average boat consumes more thar
three times that quantity In norma.
times.
wpB stated the tube for tube ex'
change Of toilet goods was now net
ting the war effort 20 tons Of crttica
materials a month. Ofdcials ex.
pressed dissatisfaction with tai
| amount, pointing out that durhi
the first three months Of 1912 thu
public consumed q monthly average
of over 800 tons Of metal In tubes.
Further production OF space
heaters using fuel oil or gas, excep
to fill orders for the Army, Navy
Coast Guard, Maritime Commission
or War Shipping Administration
was cut OF by WPB.
Types of heaters covered by thu
order are designed to heat only thu
space in which located and which
are not equipped with distribution
pipes. Included are circulating
heaters, radiant heaters, direct gas
fred unit heaters, floor and wal
furnaces. The order permits pro-
duction of replacement parts. I
was estimated that stocks OF 200 .0O(
oil heaters and 300, 900 gas heater
are on hand.
WPB placed under complete allo-
cation heat exchangers, urgently
needed in war industries by thu
Army, Navy and Maritime Com
mission. Exchangers are used II
exchange heats between liquids ane
gases In industrial and military
work. Since considerable quanti'
ties of scarce materials are used II
making exchangers, war program
requirements have put severe
strain on existing supplies.
Specifications Of reclaimed rubbe
used In making soles and heels wer
cut down by WPB to save bette
grades for more important uses
The use of friction scrap, whicl
makes a hieh grade of reclaimed