Evening star., 1942-08-09
Canadian Production
Likely 10 Level Off
After Big Rise
Some Observers Believe
Dominion Is Coming
Close to Limit
By FRANK MacMILLEN.
Wide World Rusinpss Writer

NEW YORK, Aug. 8-Canada,
which has rated plenty of headlines
for the victory contributions Of its
fighting men on far-fung battle
lines, also has made big contributions
on the industrial front.
The rise in the Dominion's pro-
duction totals has been astonish-
ingly swift considering its 1l,5o0.o00
population and its relatively un-
developed industrial plant.
A major production feat Of our
less populous neighbor has some
times tended to be overshadowed
by our own more spectacular totals,
with our 130,000,000 people and
highly industrialized status, experts
here say.
Canada already has reached the
point, some observers think. where
Its production curve necessarily must
level out as man-poWer and indus
trial plant approach their limits.
The Dominion has broken all pre-
vious records in the dollar and phys
teal volume of it's production since
the war started.
Employment in manufacturing in
dustries has increased so per cent
since war broke out in September,
1910 and that in a country which
has 500 900 men under arms.
100000 in War Work.
Another 100000 are busy in eS-
sential war work, a total of more
than II per cent of the population
for soldiers and defense workers.
In addition, the minister of mu
nitions and supply estimates the
country has 1.350,000 engaged in
agriculture and 100000 in essential
utilities and mining.
There are about 100000 Cana
dians in civilian industries at pres
ent, which form about the only res
ervoir left for additional manpower
for the war effort.
The Dominion Securities Corp, in
. review of the manpower outlook,
says that to divert even a quarter
of these civilian industry workers
will probably mean a drastic cur
tailment in the standard of living"
Standard & Poor's, business in
formation service, surveying the
Canadian outlook, says:
80 = = 1t is gradually becoming
apparent that the Dominion is ap-
preaching a state of full employ
ment.
This does not rule out further
Increases in Canada S wartime pro-
duction, but scarcity of power. trans
portation and labor are limiting fac
tors in the overall picture.
More Curbs Foreseen.
"Civilian industries must expect
more restrictions so that available
materials and manpower may be
saved for more urgent purposes.
THE clear inference to be drawn
Is that Canada will see new alltime
production peaks established in 1912,
and while there is every reason to
believe that activity will hold around
these record levels for the duration,
it will become increasingly difficult
to strain the manufacturing plant
to any greater accomplishment
The size of the effort which the
Dominion has undertaken is indi-
Gated by the fact that contracts
awarded and commitments made for
war goods for Canadian, British and
other accounts now total $4,877, ,000,-
600, about half for Canada itself.
The two largest items in the ac-
count are $437 100000 for shipbuild-
ing and $420,000,00 for aircraft.
Dominion securities reports produc-
ton of the latter at 400 craft a
month, with $4,000 workers en-
ployed, directly and indirectly.
But ordnance, construction of de-
tense projects, transportation, cloth
ing and munitions are the i'm
portant items in the nearly S5,o00,-
100000 total.
Vital Metals Produced.
In the mining field, where Can
ada's unique resources have played
an important part for the United
Nations. nickel and aluminium have
bulked large.
Canada produced some 80 per
cent of all the worlds peace time
requirements of nickel, prime steel
alloying element. Dominion securi-
ties estimates 40 per cent of all the
aluminium which has gone into the
United Nations air feet has come
from Canada.
Some other production records in
clude 250,000 tanks and military
vehicles made since the war started
with $1,000 people employed di-
rectly and indirectly; and $4,000
men and women at work in chemical
plants, which currently are re-
ported turning out more explosives
in six months period than they
did in the four years of the last war