The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-05-08
Few Rubber
Jobs Seen
Synthetic Plants
to Employ Few
BY /ALBRO B. GREGORY
United Press staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON U.D Re
CARELESS of the postwar status
of the two principal so-called
war-born industries - synthetic
rubber and electronics - Meth
er will provide relatively great
employment in the years to
come.
That is the opinion Of govern
ment authorities who have been
seeking a picture Of Americas
postwar economy.
There are two definitely OPP
posed schools of thought, how
ever, on whether synthetic rub
Der production will continue at
high rate after the war-a rate
already high enough to satisfy
the normal needs of the country.
Some believe the output will be
cut from more than 100000 tons
annually to between 100000
and 100000 tons, thus allowing
for near postwar imports of nat
ural rubber. The other side be-
lieves there will be tremendous
production with only small inn
ports after some Of the bugs
are combed out of the present
product.
All feel, however, that at the
present stage of development
the natural product must be
blended with the synthetic to
produce efficient heavy duty
tires. On the side of those who
would cut production is the
school which believes in i'm
ports as a means of keeping
commerce alive even at the
expense of dependence on out
side sources for the product.
They point out that shutdown
synthetic plants could with very
little difficulty be shifted into
the manufacture Of plastics for
which great postwar demand is
seen.
REQUIRE HIGH SKILL
But from the standpoint OF
employment of millions of per-
sons, these industries have little
to offer because of their highly
technical nature. For the most
part the persons engaged in syn
thetic rubber manufacture and
manufacture of electronic equip
ment are highly skilled, gener-
ally highly paid and their train
ing consumes years Of study and
laboratory work.
The experts agree that syn
thetic rubber will be used to
great advantage on passenger
cars but that in the heavy duty
field there is much lacking.
However, whatever employ
ment may be lost in synthetic
production will be multiplied by
jobs made in the overseas ship
ping business as result of de-
mand for raw rubber.
The National Radio Manufac-
turers Association sees employ
ment of 100000 persons in the
industry within three years,
compared with 10000 to 10000
in the late prewar years. With
the advent Of television these
figures will rise sharply, an Off"
cial of the association predicted.
NYLON HAS A FUTURE
Nylon, spurred by warfound
uses, has great employment pos
sibilities, according to Robert E.
Mcconnell, who has conducted
postwar industry survey for Sec
rotary of the Treasury Henry
Morgenthau, Jr.
Nylon will be used in the cord
of the better automobile tires. 1t
also will be used to a greater ex-
tent for manufacture of tough
cordage and to an increasing de-
gree in the manufacture of hos
iery and clothing fabrics, thus
offering additional employment.
Greatest cuts in employment
will be in aircraft, shipbuilding,
ALUMINIUM and magnesium, ac-
cording to Mcconnell. Alumni
mum will settle to a level about
twice the prewar production
rate, he says.
Steel. at its war peak turning
out 00,O00,00O tons annually,
will settle to about 100000
tons output. The employment
cut will not be so marked, ac-
cording to Mcconnell. Likewise,
he sees current coal mine man.
power remaining in the pits.
AUTO INDUSTRY TO DROP
The automobile industry with
a peak force of 100000 workers
will drop off to 100000 during
the first six months after the
wars end and then rise TO
steady working force OF about
100000. y
Automobile production for the
first three or four years after
the war will be at the annual
rate of 100000 cars compared
with 100000 requirements an