Evening star., 1943-08-05
Program 10 Maintain
Needed Civilian Goods
Mapped by Whiteside
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

llle olilCe OF ClVlllan Require
ments reported today that de-
mands of the military program
will not permit reopening OF
substantial manufacture OF
many items formerly produced
for civilians, but added that it
will be possible by careful direc-
ton of available materials to
keep the civilian economy at a
healthy and efficient working
level.
Arthur D. Whiteside, OCR direc-
tor, in a report to the War Produc-
ton Board, forecast production of
sufficient goods in the next l8
months to make unnecessary reduc-
tion of the civilian economy to bed
rock" levels.
A program designed to give a
positive approach to the problem of
maintaining civilian morale and
efficiency was presented by the di-
rector in the first report of his
office since its establishment last
spring. In it the bedrock" or neg
ative approach, of the old ONCE of
Civilian Supply was discarded. OCS
produced a report last winter point
ing out minimum levels below which
the economy could not function in
total war. 1t caused CONSERVATION
in Congress and throughout in
dustry.
Essential Supplies Available.
BY wise use of about the same
quantities of materials that have
been made available for civilian pro-
duction during recent months" Mr..
Whiteside said, essential civilian
services and the production of essen
tial civilian goods can be main
tanned. The needs of the war at
present permit no other course"
That statement, observers pointed
out, signifies a change of position
by Mr.. Whiteside, who some time
ago declared civilian production
must receive larger share of ma
terials. He said his determination
to fight for this larger share was
vigorously opposed by military lead
ers. The revised requirements of
civilians for materials will be placed
before the WPB Requirements Com
mittee, which will review them in
relation to the general war program
and decide what materials can be
spared.
Highlights of the nine point pro-
gram presented by Mr.. Whiteside
follow:
Insurance that all minimum ci-
william requirements will be met and
that the population will not be
forced down to bare subsistence lev
els; supplies for civilians must be
maintained above the level where
health, morale or working efficiency
would be impaired; there must be
adequate repair parts, replacement
parts and labor to maintain and
operate essential equipment in the
hands of civilians distributive and
service trades must be maintained
to the extent necessary to make
essential goods and services available
to civilians.
Will Try to Conserve Goods.
Special consideration must be
given the needs of new families,
infants and children, workers with
special requirements and rapidly
the basic economic and social struc-
ture must be avoided by fullest
utiliza ton of small business con-
Pernc in prn6rctioy, onI dietr;h,,+;or
of civilian goods; intensive effort
to conserve goods now In civilian
hands; assurance that civilians will
not be called upon to make un-
necessary sacrifices and full public
information to enable the people to
understand the reasons for Govern
ment decisions limiting the supply
OF goods and services.
The report pointed out that al
though the national expenditure for
goods and services was greater last
year than in 1899, the quality of
products has deteriorated. The
economy is only now beginning to
feel the effects of falling inventories
of goods, reduced manpower and the
drain of heavy exports to rehabili-
tate areas released from Axis con-
troll.
A primary objective of his Office,
Mr.. Whiteside said would be to re-
direct production into the 1ow-pr
volume sales end of many civilian
products. He said a constant watch
on price levels and the volume OF
at each level will be made
to carry out this policy.
The principal problems facing the
OCR, the report said, are shortage
OF manpower, particularly in the
service trades inadequate distribu-
ton of scarce goods, lack of some
materials, particularly metals, for
civilian manufacture.
While the problem of distributing
scarce goods proportionately among
all areas has not been solved, Mr..
Whiteside said, the emphasis on
distribution will be substantially in
creased and plans in this direction
are beng developed rapidly"