Evening star., 1951-01-07
Radio, N Industry Hit
Again byCurb on Vital
Material for Tubes
By Francis P. DouoIos

The television and radio indus
try faces still another restriction
on raw material vital for defense
production.
The National Production Au-
thority is preparing an order gov
erning the distribution of scarce
barium carbonate. This metallic
compound is used in making vac
uum tubes for TV and radio sets.
1t is likewise necessary for tubes
in radar equipment.
1t also developed yesterday that
the Government probably will pro-
mote drive to save waste paper
such as was carried on in World
War II.
Two other moved reminiscent
of that war are under discussion.
One is resumption of the collec-
ton of tin cans after they are
emptied, to salvage the tin in the
coating. The other is the re-
quirement that the old tube
must be turned in when purchas-
ing a new tube of tooth paste or
shaving cream.
Fair Division Sought.
Representatives of the barium
carbonate industry met with
NPA officials last week and dis
cussed the necessity for an order
to assure a fair division of the
material among essential users
after defense orders are taken
care of.
The material is used in the
cathode of vacuum tubes. That
is the part of the tube that gets
hot and glows when the radio or
TV set is turned on.
Manufacturers say there is no
satisfactory substitute material at
present. Already hit by restric-
tions on the use of cobalt, nickel,
copper and steel, they are in
clined to regard a new hurdle
philosophically although they say
severe restrictions of the ma
terial will hit the industry hard.
1t is expected, however, that the
forthcoming order will assure
them enough of a supply to keep
the industry going. This was done
in the case of the order governing
cobalt, which is used in making
permanent magnets in the speak,
ers of TV and radio sets.
Barium Carbonate Is Scarce.
The Government agrees that
the industry must be kept healthy
with its labor force intact against
the day when it will be called on
for large production of radar and
other electronic products for mill
tary use.
Barium carbonate is scarce, ac-
cording to NPA, because of the
rapid expansion of the television
industry and its use in the drilling
OF deep oil wells. Large quantities
were used during the war in the
production of munitions. A Mu-
nitions Board spokesman said,
however. that formula changes
would scale down the demand for
such purposes.
The need for saving and using
waste paper was discussed by
fiber drum manufacturers at a.
meeting with NPA. Fifty-two per
cent of the fiber drums turned
out are used for packing chemicals |
and II per cent for packing foods.
Scrap Already SaIvaged.
They are much cheaper than
steel drums, using that metal only
for tops and bottoms and for
hoops.
Industry spokesmen cited in
creasing difficulty in getting paper
board and steel to make the
drums for which there is a
steadily growing demand. They
are already shipping back to the
mills the waste scrap left after
the manufacture of paper board
containers.
NPA also discussed with COL
lapsible tube manufacturers the
advisability of eliminating tin
from shaving cream tubes and
reducing the tin and aluminium
content of other tubes. The
agency now is working on an
order specifying the amount of
tin which may be used in such