The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-03
Michigan in
Washington
BY Esther Van Wagner Tufty

Michigan.made automobiles OF
the future may vary in design from
year to year.
Before the war designs were
pretty much the same, mostly be-
cause OF the problem OF tooling.
Manufacturers simply could not af-
ford the time and cost OF creating
a new set of jigs and fixtures each
year Hence they just made few
changes here and there in last
years model and altered them ac-
| cordingly.
Ii was sometimes a sort of minor
miracle when the tool makers guess
ed right the first time. Unfortu-
nately, the complicated instruments
for the work are not consistently
accurate.
But out in San Diego recently at
the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft
plant | saw what's called a "tooling
deck" which ! was told would re.
volutionize the .tomobile indus.
try after the war and take the
guesswork out of tool-making.
Although sadly lacking in com
prehension of anything more tech
nical than a can opener, even
could grasp that this device would
guarantee accuracy.
The three dimensional posi-
tioning apparatus" can locate any
point within its boundaries 10 a
tolerance of .00- inch. and it can
decrease the amount OF time re-
CURED to do so by more than rs
per cent
All this is accomplished by means
OF a series OF fixed and movable
straight edges situated within a
large rectangular frame. The
| straight edges can locate a three
dimensional point as easily as a
craftsman finds the center OF a
sheet OF paper when he draws dag
onal lines from corners to corners.
Quietly. several Michigan auto
mobile companies are drawing up
plans for China. With a vast
postwar bodybuilding program in
the offing for China. new market
for trucks, automobiles, buses is
seen.
Last month building construc-
ton in cities was six per cent less
than in July, and the trend is ex-
pected TO move downward for the
duration Chiefly this is the result
of a "A per cent decrease in fed
eral contract awards, Secretary Of
Labor Perkins explains.
However, in certain Michigan
cities, several good-sized permits
were issued. In Detroit, "a one
family dwellings S521,700 In Ham
tramck, one ia ,tory cost S1.171,0C0.
In Royal Oak, a federally financed
project for 1899 units will cost
S1,370,000.
The national trend is best ex-
emplified in Grand Rapids. The
valuation of total building construc-
ton in Grand Rapids during the
first eight months of this year was
$7SS,000 as compared TO SS7S00O
| covering the same period in 1913.
In Lansing, the reverse is true.
During the first eight months in
1914. the valuation reached Sl,3S2,-
600 as compared to $4,000 the pre-.
vious year.
Some 1888 Michigan service
mems babies have been born under
the emergency maternity and in
fant-care program, Katharine F.
Lenroot, chief of the Children's
Bureau, announced this week At
the same time she made known
plans. now being worked out in
Michigan and other states, for pro-
vision Of health services for these
infants through the first year Of
life, the period for which care is
authorized by Congress.
To date, medical care was pro-
vided only for sick infants. Now
regular visits 10 a doctor or to a
well-baby conference for a check
up and immunizations are includ-
ed. DR.. Lillian Smith, Department
Of Health, Lansing. Is expected 10
make an announcement soon. Al
ready Michigan has commission
working on the advisability Of such
a service.
Michigan Department OF Health,
which is responsible for this care
along with the Children's Bureau,
may now use the emergency pro-
gram for health supervision OF SER
vicemen's infants. This care may
be given either in the doctors Office
or in child.health clinics.
The number OF Michigan mater
nifty and infant care cases author.
lied during August was 1912.