Word: wpb
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...been angry howls from local church and civic groups. Two months ago, when the grandstand was fast taking shape, irate Association for the Prevention of a Race Track in Camden County petitioned the War Production Board to freeze the essential war materials being squandered on a "gamblers' dream." WPB investigated- not once but twice-found that no priorities had been violated, no vital labor absorbed. Said Leon Henderson: "The people who are building the track are quite ingenious." Indeed they are. All Garden State's structural materials had been purchased before Pearl Harbor; 60% of the metal...
Thoughtful businessmen breathed a profound sigh of relief. Industrial mobilization took the first real step away from Washington, rather than toward it, since World War II began. WPB began to decentralize itself. This blessed portent was part of WPB's shift in emphasis from expansion-for-later to production-with-what-we-have-now. The present U.S. war plant is already devouring raw materials faster than they can be mined. Therefore, Washington's No. 1 job is no longer production, or conversion, or contract-letting, but raw-materials flow. So WPB began to strip itself down to that...
...Industry Operations, announced the creation of 13 regional of-fices,* gave them broad powers as "the focal point ... for all War Production Board business" except for overall policy matters. In each of their areas, these miniature Don Nelsons (seven have been appointed so far) are to have complete WPB authority over what remains of the war-production job. Since most of the expansion was over, rationalization could begin-a grass-roots matter. There could be more subcontracting, a fuller use of existing plants, more local cooperation, less Washington red tape. A blueprint of the new decentralization was shown...
...What civilian production there is will be more & more concentrated in small plants. This policy was implicit in a WPB order to the stove and range industry: after July 31, all normal production must come from the 250-odd plants of companies with annual sales of $2,000,000 or less; 92 larger plants must...
...WPB and the Army & Navy Munitions Board announced that there is not enough steel even for essential uses, which now amount to 117% of the maximum steel capacity of the U.S. (which has 50% of the whole world's capacity). Of the 117%, 67% is earmarked for Army, Navy, Maritime Commission and Lend-Lease; 14% for essential industries such as farm equipment and the railroads; 18% for new plants to make aluminum, rubber, etc.; 18% for other uses rated A-10 or better...