Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-12-02
TICKET
For the
BY MerrYle
S.Rukeyser

THE United States gov
L eminent has an oppor-
tunity after the war to
promote national prosperity
through abstaining from
extravagant spending and
through exerting a mini
mum of interference with
the activities of its citizens.
That's the gist of the reply
of Ernest T. Weir. chairman
of the National Steel Co.,
whom | asked to write out
ticket for postwar pros
perity.
In a message TO this column:
the Pittsburgh ironmaster said:
in the postwar period, the
steel industry anti all other In
dustry will be confronted with
problems which will be difficult
OF solution under the best OF cir
cumstances.
HTF GOVERNMENT acts to
L preserve private Industry
and work with II, all Of the
difficulties which we must eN-
meet as an aftermath OF war
will he overcome more easily
and quickly. II, however, Ret--
eminent should resume Its puni-
tive attitude toward private
industry and again allow Its ae-
tions to be dictated by political
or social rather than economic
considerations, l do not believe
that our economic structure VIII
be able to bear the burden.
"The central problem will he
to achieve and hold a level OF
production. and, therefore, OF
income. which will yield sun
cient taxes TO support the a
tivities OF government and als
reduce the national debt. OBJ
viously, for the best effect on
production and income, taxes
should be at the lowest possible
rate that will result In a bal
anced budget"
I ASKED Mr.. Weir whether
i government-financ plants
had created an excess capacity
in the steel industry, and also
what he thought should be done
with such plants after the war.
/ He answered:
! ''G vernment construction,
and In addition private con-
/ struction that has been occa-
stoned by the war, will un-
doubtedly mean excess postwar
steel capacity. At the end OF
this year. ingot capacity will he
about 20 per cent greater than
In 1899. There Il nothing In
the history Of the steel industry
nor OF industry In general that
gives hope Of utilization Of any
thing approaching this capacity
in peacetime.
"A large excess capacity over
effective demand II. itself, an
unsettiing factor. / believe that
following the war, government
plants should be conveyed to
private ownership as soon as
H..
be equitable to the company
directly involved. 10 its indus
try. and, of course, TO the gov
ernment."
OUERIED concerning the steel
W industryS coming problem
OF reconversion. Weir said:
THE industry's conversion
from peace To war production,
while difficult In many respects
was accomplished without d
ruptive effects. do not ~
Iieve that reconversion tn peace
production would pose any moro
of n problem"
AS to new postwar items, Weir
revealed:
For n number Of years We
have been developing new types
of steel which have a wide va
"riety OF application and which
Hehould tend to sustain and in
grease the total demand for
Sscs..H
Concerning the scrap situa-
i, ton. the chairplan OF National
Steel explained
Current supplies Of scrap are
considerably less than the
amount OF scrap being con-
sumed. The present situation Is
not acute, however, because II
was possible to accumulate some
scrap over the summer months"
knowledge Test