Evening star., 1943-05-02
Civilian Supply
Created;
Whiteside'
Sweeping Authority
Is Given Chief of
New WPB Agency
picture on Page All
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
Chairman Donald M. Nelson
of the War Production Board
last night created a new Office of
civilian requirements and clothed
its director, Arthur D. Whiteside,
with full power to act as spokes-
man for the civilian population
for all consumer goods and serv-
ices except food, housing and
transportation.
The civilian car, who is president
of Dun and Bradstreet, Inc, was
authorized by Mr.. Nelson to de-
termine rationing policies and to
issue directives telling the Office OF
Price Administration when, where
and how much goods are to be ra-
toned
Mr.. Whiteside also received au-
thority-superseding that of Rubber
Director William M. Jeffers-to de-
termine how much rubber should
be allocated to civilians, and whether
it should be used for tires, corsets,
or other goods, WPB spokesmen
said.
The new Office is set up within
the WPB and replaces the boards
old Office OF Civilian Supply headed
by Joseph L. Weiner.
Will Retain WPB Title.
Mr.. Whiteside will retain the title
Of WPB vice chairman in charge of
civilian supply, conferred April Is.
At that time his functions were not
designated.
There was no indication then that
an entirely new Office would he
created. with vastly greater powers
than Mr.. Weiner's agency held. The
old OCS was almost entirely and
advisory staff, without power even
to enforce its findings on WPB's
own industry divisions-z
Legislation now before Congress
would create civilian supply aG-
ministration completely independent
of WPB to provide for civilian needs
with Economic Sterilization Director
James F. Byrnes as final arbiter in
cases of conflict with military de-
mands.
Mr.. Nelson's order appeared ade-
quate to give Mr. Whiteside what
some member of Congress have de-
clared the civilian spokesman should
have an equal voice with the mill
tary claimants.
To consult with Mr.. Whiteside and
correlate civilian needs, Mr.. Nelson
also created civilian Requirements
Policy Committee consisting of
Secretary of Agriculture Wickard,
Price Administrator Brown, Petro-
leum Administrator Ickes, Defense
Transportation Director Joseph B.
Eastman, and War Manpower Chair
man McNutt. Mr.. Nelson named
himself and Mr.. Whiteside vice
chairman of the policy group.
Some Goods Excluded.
The goods and services controlled
by Mr.. Whiteside do not include
those handled by the War Food Ad-
ministration, the National Housing
Agency, or the Office of Defense
Transportation, because their juris-
diction was established by executive
orders.
Although technically in the same
category, Mr.. Ickes has made an
agreement with WPB that Mr..
Whiteside should handle civilian oil
and coal requirements which here
tofore have been in his charge.
The objective of the new office,
Mr.. Nelson's order states, is to pro
vide consumer goods and services
adequate to maintain the essential
civilian life and the highest produc-
tive efficiency, to the end that the
maximum productive hour of the
civilian population may be attained
IN the support of the war effort"
Consumer goods and services"
were defined as including all prod
ucts and services personally con-
sumed or used by individual civil
ians, including repair parts and the