Evening star., 1951-04-13
Controlled Materials
Plan Will Go Into
Effect on July |

The Government was preparing
today for the huge task of count
ing the pounds and tons Of steel,
aluminium and copper which in
dustry will need.
Then it will divide supplies be-
tween military and civilian pro-
duction to make certain that the
defense program is carried out.
This is the controlled materials
plan," which Manly Fleischmann.
National Production Authority
administrator, announced will go
into effect July /.
He said it, or something like it,
is absolutely indispensable" II
any large military production pro-
gram is to be carried through on
schedule. He repeated his warn
ing that "the time of greatest
danger is now"
The plan also will permit a
reasonably high level Of consumer
goods production. he said.
Similar to War III Plan.
1t is similar to the GIMP Of
World War II but will not be ap-
piled so extensively, at least not
under present conditions. In that
period supplies of the three metals
were allotted for everything
from ships and tanks to bobby
pins.
AS planned now.. specific allot-
ments of the metals will be made
for the military program. the
expansion of basic industry, the
building and repair of freight
cars and ships, electric power
production and distribution and
similar programs. 1t may also
take in the manufacture OF
machinery necessary for pro-
duction and some other areas.
The first step will be taken on
May /. Then a large part Of in
dustry will be called on for re-
ports on its needs for the three.
metals in the third quarter OF
the year.
160 Industries on List.
About 100 industries are on
the list from which the reports
will be required. The list runs
from makers of heavy machinery
to manufacturers of fruit and
vegetable baskets.
There is tentative list OF
about so products for which the
reports will not be required.
These are chiefly consumer goods
passenger automobiles. radio
and television sets, refrigerators,
stoves, bicycles. metal awnings
and the like.
When all the reports are in, the
amounts of needed metals will be
added UP. Then the apport1on-
ment will be made. Defense pro-
duction will have first call, and
then the defense supporting pro-
grams.
What remains will be available
for civilian production. 1t will not
be allotted to specific users but will
be available as 1t is now under
limitation orders which provide
that not more than a certain per-
centage of the metals may be used
compared to the manufacturers
use in the first six months OF 1850.
Mr.. Fleischmann said it is in
tended to increase these limita-
tion orders.
Because an industry will have to
report it's metals needs will not
mean that it will be among those
given metals allotments. It's re-
ports will mean the NPA will be
able to make workable estimate
of demands.
One of the reasons GIMP is not
to be applied as completely as it
was in World War II is that NPA
does not have. the staff for the
job, Mr.. Fleischmann said. The
War Production Board at the peak
had $4,000 persons, he said.
1--WE now have about 2,000," he
said. Il don't believe we will have
a third of the number that WPA
had"
GIMP is concerned only with
steel, copper and aluminium be-
cause they are considered basic.
The reasoning is that when you
control them there is almost auto
matte control of other scarce ma
terialS.