Evening star., 1944-12-16
All Civilian Products
Are Frozen by WPB 10
F ForestaI| Labor Shifts
Moves Bosed on Theory
Goods Already Allotted
Will Meet Requirements
By STERLING GREEN.


Copyright, 1914, by the Associated Press.)
The War Production Board, in
a drastic new move to meet vital
war needs, has ordered that all
civilian production be frozen in
definitely at present levels.
The order, dated December 7 and
circulated within WPB but not an
nounced, is designed to discourage
the movement of labor from war
plants into peacetime activity while
heavy demand continues for some
vital weapons and material.
In effect hold line" order
on production, the ruling instructs
the WPB staff neither to increase
civilian goods production above the
level of this quarter nor to relax
existing orders if increased output
would result.
Some Leeway Is Left.
The move was based on the theory
that the volume of civilian goods
now programmed is sufficient to
meet essential requirements" and
avoid hardship on the home front.
Some slight leeway for expansion
was left, however, by two mechan-
isms provided in the order, which
was signed by Samuel Anderson,
WPB's program vice chairman:
First, the ONCE of Civilian Re-
quirements or other agency speak
ing for segment of the domestic
economy may seek an increase in
production by making a positive
demonstration" that a program is
clearly below essential require
ments." Even so, rejection will re-
suit unless the increase can be made
without serious threat of inter-
ference with more essential produc-
tion," the order states.
Second, the spot" plan for con-
sumner goods production by individ-
ual factories which are not needed
for war work is continued in effect
and made the sole method of in
creasing output Of any article above
the officially approved level.
Spot" Authorizations.
This might mean an increase in
spot authorizations in areas
which have relatively plentiful labor
supply, but the Government re-
Gently banned new spot approvals
for 80 days in some 12o cities of
acute labor scarcity.
The latter action was taken
jointly by WPB, War Manpower
Commission and the Army and
Navy to channel labor into plants
making trucks, tires, big guns and
shells and other items for which
the military has found need of
larger quantities than it had an
ticipated.
So far, the effect of spot authori-
cations in boosting civilian supply
has been slight, although some 1000
plants have received permission to
go ahead. Low priority is given
such production, and many manu-
facturers have complained that
they could not get started even with
WPB approval.
Where there is both military
and civilian demand for the same
product, military cutback hitherto
has usually been followed by COM
pensating increase in civilian output.
II Products Listed.
That practice is curbed by the new
edict for list of II products, even
though the total resulting produc-
ton may be lower than the present
rate. Before granting a civilian in
crease in such a case, the area
production Urgency Committee in
each community must make a man.
power check, WPB ruled, to ascertain
that denial would not help the war
effort by releasing any "appreciable
number Of workers of the type and
skill needed by more urgent pro-
grams"
This clause applies to the follow
ing items:
Trucks and truck tractors, motor
cycles, bicycles and powercycles,
cutlery, typewriters, steam and
Diesel locomotives, railroad cars,
busses and bus bodies, commercial
electric food equipment, commercial
laundry machinery, 35-mm. moving
picture equipment, tracklaying trac-
tors, heavy motor graders, power
cranes and shovels, off-the- highway
trucks (Which are used for lum-
berir1g, mining and similar pur-
poses). truck trailers and industrial
power trucks.