Evening star., 1952-02-10
More Metals Held Only Cure
For Detrot's S Unemployment

ito butlQ announcer zUU,UUU cars III
/ the March-June quarter. The
number of joblesS win soar to 1885,
/ 900 II production is pegged at the
100000 level.
Industry Not Optimistic.
The industry is not optimistic
lover the possibilities of increasing
automobile output by the use Of
Substitutes for aluminium and
copper. The average car now re-
quires 13 pounds Of aluminium,
considered an irreducible mini
mum, and 65 pounds Of copper.
The radiator takes most Of the
copper. Experiments with copper
lined steel radiators repeatedly
have not worked out well.
Auto industry prospects Of get
ting increased allotmentS are
much better for aluminium than
flor copper. Lowering 81 military
aircraft production schedules to
levels than can be reached, has
released upwards Of 20 million
pounds of aluminium for other
uses. But the supply Of copper. a
large part Of which is imported,
remains very short.
Walter p. Reuther, president
Of the CIo United Automobile
Workers, said there are two pos
sibilities of increasing substan-
TALLY importations Of copper. One
is that other Atlantic Treaty ma
tions may be able to spare some.
The other Is that imports from
Chile, one of the worlds largest
producers. may be increased. This
might be done, he said, by pur-
chasing copper Chile. sells on the
open market, outside the treaty
arrangement.
Above Market Price.
Chilean producers have been
selling open-market copper at
considerably more than the world
market price. But, even at the
highly inflated price, an auto
manufacturer said an over-ceiling
investment of $4,000 would bring
in enough copper to save Detroit
more than $500. 900 In unemploy-
ment payments.
Mr.. Reuther and the automo-
bile manufacturers agree on some
points and differ widely on others
as to the cause and cure of the
|induStry's ills.
Harold Vance, president of Stu
debaker; c. F. Wilson, president
of General Motors, and other
manufacturers. blamed Govern
|ment handling of materials allo-
cations for most Of their troubles.
Mr.. Vance said that last fall
the National Production Authority,
which apportions materials, pro-
claimed a great shortage of al
type Of stainless steel used in cars.
Denies Materials Are Scarce.
"NPA now has de-controlled ~
he said. Nothing has happened
since November so far as supply
and demand are concerned to
change the situation. There never
had been a shortage.
II am quite sure the same stu
alton exists in aluminium"
Mr.. Wilson said that military
contractors are getting more ma
teriais than they can fabricate and
that inventories "are increasing
all over the country"
When the facts are known
there not only will be Il quantity
OF aluminium but a quantity of
copper, too. coming back" he
added.
Both MIR. Wilson and L. L. Col
bert, president of Chrysler, pre-
dicted a great shortage" of new
cars this spring unless production
quotas are raised.
Mr.. Wilson said the industry
needs materials to produce Ill
million cars and 275,OO0 trucks
each quarter to correct the job
situation.
THAT would clean it up," he
said.
Still Had Unemployment,
Mr.. Reuther differed on that
point. He said that number of We
hicles was produced in the last
three months of 1851 "and we
had nearly 100000 unemployed in
Detroit then"
MIR. Reuther said the industry.
IN solving the unemployment
problem. needs all the help we
can get on both fronts"-in the
way Of increased auto quotas and
in new defense contracts.
He agreed increased automo-
bile production offered the best
means Of quick treatment Of un-
employment. but he said the
"dovetailing Of large volume Of
defense work into the automobile
plants is the only long term solu-
ton to the problem"
Mr.. Reuther also agreed with
the manufacturers that the indus
try had been Disseminated against
in the matter Of materials allot-
ments in that automobiles are
classified as non-essential goods
along with household equipment,
costume jewelry and gadgets.
"They Government ofhcials)
treated automobiles and trucks
just as though they are gadgets. ~
he said. "They couldn't make
these defense items if they didn't
have them to haul people to work.
Trucks are just as important as
railroad cars"
Plants in Far OFF Places.
Mr.. Reuther charged that the
manufacturers have located many
Of their defense plants in far of
places like New Orleans, Texas,
Delaware, so there would be no
interference with civilian produc-
ton.
They get serious about defense
work only when the situation gets
real tough" he said.
Mr.. Reuther said that Chrysler
for example, was teaching shrimp