"Government demands for paper and paperboard for printing public documents, specifications, educational publications, packaging, etc., are increasing by leaps and bounds. These needs must be kept supplied at all costs.

"Wrapping papers for medical supplies and innumerable other paper industry products are fully as necessary to modern military needs as munitions and equipment.

"It is essential that the paper industry be unhampered and kept high on the priority lists. A few of the more important paper products for direct military usage are cellulose wadding for bandages, filter and absorbent papers for gas masks."

One of the APPA reports presents informa

tion under such headings as:

The Nature Of The Problem;

The Paper Industry And National Defense: As a Source of Supply for Military and Naval Forces, As an Important Export Commodity for South and Central American Countries;

Economic Background Of The United States Paper Industry: Economic Organization and Geographic Location, Employment and Pay Rolls, Financial Structure;

Paper Production, Consumption And Capacity: Production and Capacity, Capacity by Kinds of Paper;

Imports And Exports of Paper; Price Trends In The Paper Industry; Marketing And Distribution Of Paper And Paperboard; Raw Materials; Summary And Conclusions. (122 E. 42d St., New York, N. Y.; E. W. Tinker, Executive Secretary.)

Keep 'Em Well

The Industrial Hygiene Foundation of America (formerly the Air Hygiene Foundation of America) states that "Half a million mill workers will be 'AWOL' in the heavy industries this year because of sick absenteeism--a year in which production and labor demands are constantly mounting. The average worker is losing about eight days a year because of illness. For every day that figure can be reduced, there will be a gain equivalent to the services of 60,000 workers, full time."

Plans are being made for an annual convention whose theme will be, "Defend the Defense Worker!" Reports will be made on surveys completed on progress concerning the control of toxic fumes and gases, proper precautions in welding, exhaust ventilation, the combatting of dust diseases, and the results of several laboratory experiments now being carried on at the Foundation's laboratory facilities maintained at the Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh.

The Foundation was formed in 1915, and claims to include many of the leading firms in the industrial goods fields. (4400 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.; John F. McMahon, Executive Secretary.)

The Delicate (Silk) Problem

A sharply curtailed supply of raw silk caused the national associations in the hosiery and allied fields to hold conferences within the last few weeks to cooperatively face mutual problems.

A representative of a British association, the Cotton Board of Manchester, is assisting in arrangements with the National Association of Hosiery Manufacturers and other groups to make available the experience of British cotton spinners in producing hosiery of such fine-gage lisle yarns that hosiery made from this material is almost comparable to that made from Japanese silk. Representatives from the Durene Yarn Association and the Mercerizers Association of America presented data on "silk" hosiery made from substitute materials.

The president of the NAHM advocated that "Some of the capacities of the cotton and rayon yarn industries should be allocated to the making of yarns which can be used by the hosiery industry in lieu of silk." (468 Fourth Ave., New York, N. Y.; Earl Constantine, President.)

The Reason Why

"Some Reasons Why Independent Oil Jobbers Maintain The Northwest Petroleum Association"

are listed in a leaflet of the Northwest Petroleum Association. It is pointed out that many things are done by the association ata cost which is far less than what it would cost a member to perform the tasks himself.

Among the reasons listed are: 1. Because problems are constantly arising in their business that defy individual handling. These problems can only be solved by joint action led by a competent Board of Directors; 2. Because their Association has successfully carried on the fight for lower fire insurance rates on bulk plants and filling stations; 3. Because their Association provides them with regular bulletins twice each month covering news of importance to their business; 4. Because their Association keeps them in touch with the market--provides telegraphic advice on general changes to all members desiring such service, and bulletin information to all members; 5. Because through their Association they keep up-to-date on the regulations covering social security taxes and other modern and complex regulations; and 6. Because their Association compiles statistics on the industry regularly--monthly and annual inshipment figures are available; special figures on other phases of the business are assembled from time to time. (646 Builders Exchange, Minneapolis, Minn.; Edwin E. Hadlick, Secretary.)

Style and Chicago

Chicago has increased appreciably as a style center in certain fields during the past few years, according to various reports from members of Style Exhibitors, Inc., at their annual meeting. This organization is one of the number which is cooperating with the Association of Commerce in the promotion of Chicago's Annual Fall Markets Weeks. American styles, it was reported, are being favored more and more by proprietors in mid-Western States. (134 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, Ill.; J. L. Solomon, Secretary.)

Railroad Cross Ties

The Railway Tie Association is the national organization of manufacturers and distributors of cross ties, principally used by railroads. It is an example of an association rendering services to members in comparatively few fields, with a staff of about two persons.

Its principal activities are developing standard specifications for this lumber product, working out better manufacturing methods, and sponsoring technical studies of efficient methods of increasing the life of ties. Most of its members are in the mid-Western and Southern States. (903 Syndicate Trust Bldg., St. Louis, Mo.; Ray M. Edmonds, Secretary.)

****

The first completed legal action brought by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor against any bank resulted in payment of restitution to five employees.

Judgment was entered in the case after the president of the bank waived defense to a complaint which charged that which charged that the firm had failed to comply with overtime provisions of the law, since it became effective in October 1938, and had kept inaccurate records of hours worked and pay received by its employees.

That the workers involved were covered by the Federal law was unquestioned, as they were

NOTE:

Rise in Tire Prices Not Justified

No increase in the cost of automobile tires and tubes to the ultimate user, beyond the actual amount recently added to prices by manufacturers, is warranted, Leon Henderson, Price Administrator, announces.

OPACS has no evidence of any general increase in the cost of distributing tires and tubes, the Administrator said. Hence, to add more to new tire and tube prices than the present dollar margin mark-up cannot be justified.

To Meet Skilled Labor Shortage

Sidney Hillman, Associate Director-General of the OPM has received a joint letter from railroad labor and management assuring that both groups would do all they could to help meet skilled labor shortages in other defense industries out of the available supply of railway workers.

The letter was signed by B. M. Jewell, president, Railway Employees Department, A. F. of L., and J. J. Pelley, president, Association of American Railroads. It resulted from a recent conference in Chicago between OPM and railroad management and labor.

A separate letter from J. G. Luhrsen, executive secretary-treasurer of the Railway Labor Executives Association, which represents 20 national railway unions, emphasized the willingness and readiness of these organizations to cooperate in obtaining additional manpower for defense, and suggested some methods to be followed in voluntary recruiting and up-grading of available railroad men.

OPM officials estimated there were about 20,000 skilled mechanics in the railroad field

now out of work, plus 80,000 learners and apprentices who can be "up-graded" in short order to release skilled workers to other industries.

For More Bessemer Ingots

In an effort to maintain and increase steel production despite a shortage of iron and steel scrap at many mills, the OPM has asked steel companies to submit proposals for expanding wherever practicable their capacity to produce Bessemer ingots, which require very little scrap.

The OPM's Steel Branch sent telegrams to the industry urging that proposals be submitted with all possible speed.

Companies now operating both blast furnaces, in which pig iron is made, and open hearth furnaces, in which pig iron and scrap are converted into steel, were asked to submit proposals for construction of any warranted Bessemer converters, in which steel is made from pig iron with the addition of a minimum of scrap.

These same companies were requested to list products now made of open hearth steel that could be made suitably of Bessemer steel. Bessemer steel is considered satisfactory for wire, light structural material, reinforcing bars for concrete, pipe, certain grades of tinplate and some ship plates.

Salmon for the Army and the Navy

An agreement has been made by which salmon canners will make available for the lend-lease program, and for the Army and the Navy a total of 1,200,000 cases of salmon, or roughly 20 percent of the current season's pack,

without undue dislocation of the civilian market.

The program was developed at a meeting of a number of leading salmon canners with representatives of the Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply, Office of Production Management, Surplus Marketing Administration, and the War Department.

Preliminary estimates place the current salmon pack at roughly 6,000,000 cases. The program, then, will absorb roughly 45 percent of the expected pack of Reds, the premium grade; the entire pack of Cohoes, which may vary between 175,000 and 300,000 cases; and a small part of the pack of Chums and Pinks.

Three More Strikes Settled

Three strikes were cleaned off the National Defense Mediation Board's slate of defense stoppages during the week of July 28August 3. The record piled up since the Board's creation March 19 now reads: 58 cases certified; in 57 cases, involving 727,806 workers, men have either returned to work as a result of settlements or postponed threatened strikes at the request of the Board. The 58th case, Ohio Brass Co., is scheduled for hearing August 11.

The three strikes settled recently were those at the American Potash & Chemical Co., Trona, Calif.; Air Associates, Inc., Bendix, N. J., and Gulf States Utilities Co., Baton Rouge, La.

During last week, two new changes in the Board's personnel were announced. Charles E. Wyzanski, Jr., Boston attorney, was appointed

Chicago attorney, was appointed an alternate public member of the Board, bringing the total of regular and alternate public, employer and employee members to 30.

A 780.000-Ton Speed Plate

Construction of a 780,000-ton high speed plate mill at the Sparrows Point, Md., plant of the Bethlehem Steel Co. was recommended by the Office of Production Management.

William S. Knudsen, Director General of the OPM, wrote Jesse H. Jones, the Federal Loan Administrator, that the project was needed urgently for defense purposes and would require federal financing.

The proposed construction includes, in addition to the 132-inch continuous plate mill, an open hearth furnace with an annual capacity of 180,000 tons. Steel to operate the mill would be obtained from this furnace, three other company-financed open hearth furnaces now being completed, and additional furnaces existing at the plant.

Cost of the proposed facilities was estimated by the Bethlehem Co. at $23,097,000.

For More Scrap Iron

A campaign to increase the junking worn-out automobiles and thus provide additional scrap iron and steel needed urgently for defense production has been extended into New England.

This undertaking is part of a national effort to increase by at least 1,000,000 tons, and possibly several times that, the amount of scrap iron and steel produced in a year's time by the scrapping of derelict cars. A trial campaign. has already

been started in Ohio and the work will be extended later to other parts of the country.

Stock of Coal at Electric Plants

The total stock of coal on hand at electric utility power plants on July 1, 1941, was 11,198,225 tons. This was an increase of 10.1 percent as compared with June 1, 1941, and a decrease of 0.7 percent as compared

with July 1, 1940. 0f the total stock, 9,987,740 tons were bituminous coal and 1,210,485 tons were anthracite, increases of 11.1 percent and 2.7 percent respectively when compared with June 1, 1941, according to a report by the Federal Power Commission.