Evening star., 1943-01-29
Cut in Civilian Goods
Below 56 Billion
Viewed as Possible
OCS Soys Fortunes
Of War Could Require
Slash in Estimates
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
If this country were reduced to a
siege economy" by the fortunes of
war, the Once OF Civilian Supply
believes, it could reduce its civilian
goods and services even below the
minimum Of Sc billion dollars a year
which it estimates to be bedrock"
otherwise.
The 56-billion- dollar figure was
reported to the Office of Economic
Sterilization yesterday by OCS Di-
rector Joseph L. Weiner, who said
this meant America could do with
% per cent less of goods and services
than they actually will get this year.
Only a few extracts from Mr..
Weiner's bulky report were made
public, but from other sources it
was learned that the study took into
account the unlikely possibility OF
this country being reduced to a
state of siege" economy like that
Of Russian which case, the report
said, the civilian economy could 60
an undetermined depth below bed
rock"
Bedrock" Varies for Types.
The same sources, who requested
anonymity, said that bedrock varied
for different types of items: Durable
goods should be slashed to the bone,
point they are now nearing; foods,
tobacco. furniture and other perish
able and semidurable goods could be
cut to about two-thirds Of 194l lev
els, but services could be cut only
about per cent.
The -billion-dolla bedrock total
is In terms Of 194l buying power and
compares with 81 billion dollars
worth of goods which were available
In 194l.
This rough pproximation of the
breakdown was obtained, though not
set forth in Mr.. Weiner's official an
nouncement:
Perishables-food, tobacco, liquor,
toys, household paper products and
SO on: 1941, $50. 900 900 900; could be
cut to $4,000, 900 900; percentage Of
1941 value, Ct.
Semi-durable goods clothing,
shoes, auto tires, household furni-
ture and the like-1941, 10000, 900, :
600; could be cut to about $6 900 900, =
900; percentage of 1s41 value, go.
Durable Goods. IL Pet.
Durable goods-Farm machinery,
stoves, automobiles, washing ma
chimes, vacuum cleaners, furnaces
and so on-1941, $4,000, 900 900;
could be cut to $1,000, ,O00, ,00o per-
centage of 1941 value, about II.
Services-Electric power, water,
utilities, medical care, laundry,
cleaning, repairing and so on-1s41,
s32 900 900 900; estimate bedrock,
500 900 900, 900; percentage of 1e41
value. 90
The 56-billion- dollar figure is
about 80 per cent less than the
value Of goods and services used for
civilians in 194l, Mr.. Weiner said
in his public statement. However,
the actual reduction in physical vol
ume is somewhat less. he said, be-
cause the cost for an item has been
lowered in many cases by sinplifica-
ton and substitution, s,9e-lt.s,. e
The OCS does not expect the vol
ume of civilian consumption as a
whole to fall to bedrock levels this
year, Mr.. Weiner said, though in
a number of important fields, not
ably rubber and metals, it Is already
at or near the minimum level.
I'm number of other fields these
levels undoubtedly will be reached
by the end of 1943," he added.
The report was prepared at the re-
quest of James F. Byrnes, director OF
economic stabilization, as a guide for
Government policy in rationing, SUBJ
sides, manpower, Standardization OF
design and simplification OF models