The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-11-28
Observations
u. S. May Have
Peacetime Army
of 100000
By HELEN EssARY

Rep. Andrew j. May CD of Ken
lucky, chairman OF the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee, believes
that the nations peace.time Army
probably will consist of 100000 TO
6OO,0 men.
This would be almost double our
pre-war Army, which numbered
3O2,9Gs enlisted men and 23,192 Of
ficers on Aug 81, 19i0-its lowest
point since World War l. The
Army now consists Of approximate
ly eight million men while the
Navy, according to Chairman David
!. Walsh CD OF Massachusetts IT
the Senate Naval Affairs Commit
tee, has about three and a half mil.
lion officers and men.
May said he did not know how
large a Navy personnel was being
planned for after the war but that
presumably it would be considerab'
ly larger than its previous peace
time strength.
MORE THAN 60 MILLION
WORKERS should get ready for an.
other tax increase Jan. Ian auto
matte doubling of the old age pen
sion payroll tax which, like the in
come Withholding levy is deducted
from pay checks
4 movement has been started in
Congress by Senator Arthur Van.
denberg (RD of Michigan to freeze
the tax al present rates. But while
Vandenberg has been successful in
forcing through a taNfre0ze pro-
vision in each of the last three
years, his luck is in danger Of
running out this time.
The reason is that there is no
revenue bill from the House on
which 10 fasten a taX-freeZe proyi-
sion this year. And if one does
come along. ii may be an unimport-
ant measure which President
Roosevelt would not hesitate TO
veto.
In past years Eandenberg has
succeeded in mailing taX-freeze rid
ers on bills which Mr. Roosevelt
could not well veto. Unless the tax
is frozen ct the present level 1t
will automatically become two per
cent on employees and two per cent
on employers on Jan. /, II is now
one per cent on each.
ONE OF THE WARS EXPERT
MENTS--the intense effort to de-
velop wooden airplanes--ha fiZzl.
ed as far as the Army is concern.
ed. The War Department just re-
Gently cancelled the last OF its
contracts for plywood aircraft, al.
though wood construction still is
being used in gliders which arc
considered expendable.
The ARMY had no success with
the plywood planes. It's chief com
plant was that TO make them struc-
turally safe the planes had to
be strengthened here and there and
"beefed up" to the point where they
were overweight
Then, too, the surplus OF light
metals sounded the death knell for
wooden military aircraft. One Of
the prime reasons for the Armys
experimentation was the shortage
of aluminium early in the war.
WITH CIGARET RATIONING
PROPOSALS tossed overheard by
OPA Chief Chester Bowlss and the
War Food Administration, biggest
problem facing smokers today is
when can we expect some popular
brands
There is plenty Of tobacco to
make more cigarets but manufac-
turers complain of labor shortages
and lack OF heavy cardboard ship
ping containers. Meanwhile, be-
cause the producers can not pay
higher wages. their plant machines
stand idle and the public continues
10 face the biggest cigaret shortage
in history.
Trade sources assert that until
the manpower situation Is eased.
the nationwide pinch on smokes
will continue-despite well-stocked
tobacco warehouses and the desire
OF the manufacturers to boost pro
duction.
Some women smokers are chang
ing over TO small briar pipes for
their nicotine diversion while 9th
ers are rolling thir own And
cigarets. which retail normally
from IL 10 IS cents a pack. are
bringing high premiums in the
black market channels. Chicago re-
ports show them selling for 20 and
75 cents with like prices prevailing
in black markets in many cities.