Evening star., 1943-10-03
Fabrics, Manpower
Blamed for Shortage
AS Tire Stocks Fade
IS the Associated Press.

NV h"S ~ISSNS ] WV
IS the Associated Press.
AKRON, Ohio, Oct. "A possible
breakdown in rubber-borne trans
portation unless immediate and dras-
tic tire conservation measures are
taken was seen today by executives
OF five major Akron rubber COM
panies
A survey of the industry's leaders
brought into sharp focus steps taken
by the Government to prevent ex-
haustlon of the present small stock
OF new truck and passenger car tires
before the industry can get into VOL
ume production of synthetic tires.
Rubber executives viewed the new
reduction in value of and C gaso-
line ration coupons from three to
two gallons as a major help in tire
conservation. Other steps in this
direction were the 20 per cent cut
in the October quotas of passenger
car tires and the boost to COL miles
the essential monthly driving a car
owner must do before he is eligible
for a new passenger car tire ration
certificate.
Stock Under 100000.
The president of one rubber COM
pany declared the Nations stock of
tires now is less than 100000. add
ing the supply problem is mainly
one of manpoWer
There is plenty of synthetic rub
ber, but not enough workers to con-
vert it into tires" said President
William ONeil Of the General Tire
e. Rubber Co.
This industry normally operates
with 100000 tires in stock. 1t is
now reduced to less than 100000
tires. Obviously this means there
will not be enough tires until the
manpoWer problem is solved. We
have lost many good workers Add
to this the fact that the men left
behind are working slower than the
men who went into service, and YOU
can understand the critical position
we are in
Speed Held Harmful.
Tires now on the Nations passen-
ger cars are being burned up by
widespread violation OF the 35-mile-
an-hour driving rule, industry lead
ers indicated. Meanwhile, in addi-
ton to the manpower problem, man
ufacturers are facing technical
problems in handling synthetic and
a threatened shortage of tire fabric
I'VE are today in a rubber crisis"
commented John L. Collyer, presi-
dent Of the B. F. Goodrich Co. In
creaSing quantities of rubber are
coming from Governmental owned
synthetic plants but it cannot be
converted into the hundreds of vital
war products or into tires urgently
needed for trucks. buses and civil
ian automobiles if adequate man
power and additional production
capacities are not made available
without delay
He declared the greatest contri-
button that American car and truck
owners can make toward solution of
the problem is to keep within the
national speed limit of 35 miles per
hour, maintain recommended inf1a-
ton pressures. adhere to recon-
mended load limits and rigidly fol-
low all rules Of tire care"
Future in Doubt.
Referring to the Government de-
mand for at least 100000 900 passen-
ger car synthetic tires in 1914, EX-
ecutive Vice President Lee R. Jack
son of the Firestone Tire & Rubber
Co. declared that unless precau-
tions are taken there is great dam
ger Of a serious breakdown in our
transportation and a consequent
disruption Of our war production ef-
fort.
President J. P. Sieberling of the
Sieberling Rubber Co. said that
never before was the need for tire
conservation so desperate" adding:
1T is going to be impossible to
produce enough tires to keep freight
and passengers rolling satisfactorily
until difficulties in processing syn
thetic rubber into finished tires are
solved; until manpoWer and equip
ment shortages are eased, and un-
less we avert a developing fabric
shortage.
From E. J. Thomas. president of
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. came
a warning that The situation can
become very serious and I wouldn't
suggest to any one that he cease
paving the strictest attention to
making his present tire last as long
as possible
"Om ability to supply a minimum
Of 100000 new tires to keep es-
Scntial cars operating in 1914 and
carrying the increasing military de-
mands, with the use Of synthetic
rubber, is going to depend on get
ting more production out of our
present machines, securing addi-
tional capacity, securing sufficient
cord and rayon fabric and upon
how We fare with the serious man