The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-30

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localities have already reported that
the supply of garage mechanics has
declined as much as 40 per cent
since the war began. Approximately
one man out of six lost is replaced.
The Army has taken many thou
sands, 'nore thousands have gone in
to war industries where the nav
scale is higher. The closing of thou
sands OF filling stations aid tire re-
pair shops has meant that many of
the service stations where the simp-
lest jobs oould be performed simply
don'c exist, and this has thrown a
heavier burden on the shops that
stayed In business. The number of
garages is estimated at 8 per cent
less than a year ago.
MANPOWER LACK CAUSES
DELAY
The fact that men In key positions
in auto repair work are in one of
the 35 industries considered essential
occl'~ atoms and as such are entitled
to consideration for deferment by
Selective Service boards may have
helped relieve the manpower short
age somewhat. Still, most of the de-
lays which people experience in get
ting auto repair work done are
caused by lack of manpower to clear
the work as fast as 1t comes into the
shop.
The supply of steel and other
| metals and alloys allocated for the
manufacture of auto parts under the
War Production Roart's Controlled
Materials Plan is now considered ade-
quate for the repair parts demand.
There is however a reluctance on
the part OF many auto parts manu-
facturerS to make par" for old cars
i'll any great quantity, first because
there is good chance of being stuck
with them, second because parts are
now under price ceilings which limit
profits and make other manufactur-
ing jobs more attractive.
Many parts are interchangeable as
to light trucks and passenger cars,
aid as to various makes of cars. But
expanding military requirements for
heavy duty truck parts get higher
priority than is given to the manu-
facture OF parts for lighter civilian
vehicles. The Truman Committee re-
port on transportation recommended
upgrading priority so as to develop
greater supply of parts. Many mil
lions of usuable parts were lost in
the big scrap drive, though such
scrapping is nov prohibited. Distri-
button of what parts there are is
poor.
THE SHORTAGE SERIOUS
The one shortage which may de-
velop first and lost seriously, put
ting many cars eff the road, is
tire shore ge. At the present time
there is an estimated shortage of
six million new tire castings. PRODUCE
ton of new synthetic rubber tires
cannot possibly keep up with the
1914 demand, for more tires are
wearing out faster. BY the end of
1914 there may be an accumulated
shortage of IL million tires. The
only hope for avoiding transporta-
ton breakdown is through more ex-
tensive recapping and the salvaging
of every available carcass, even if it
Is used only few hundred miles.
Office of Price Administration and
Office of Defense Transportation
have toyed with plan to put CELL
ing prices on used cars, but at the
present time have given up on this
idea. First because the supply of
used cars or the market Is now good,
second because prices are not too ex-
nncCiUn fHirI
position of maximum prices below
existing levels might stop all sales,
which would be disastrous.
Similarly. there are no definite
plans for forcin. the sale of cars
by non-essential drivers still on the
road under an A gas ration. And
only the gravest emergency would
cause any effort to be made for gov
eminent requisition of cars from
non essential drivers.
Gasoline rationing has definitely
heightened Car and tire life by cut
ting down the average car mileage
from 5000 to less than 5000 miles per
year. But military demands for gas
oline are still increasing, leaving less
and less for civilian uses. There have
been threats from Ickes, Bowles and
Others that gas rations might have
to be further cut if a war emergency
develops. Certainly gas rations will
not be increased.
The gas ration system, In fact, Of
fers the one mosc effective means
for policing the entire auto trans
portation crisis. saving 1t from
breakdown by limiting 1t to essent-
ialS.