RECENT EXPANSION

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 32, 2 November 1942, Page 6

RECENT EXPANSION

American Output Of Munitions MATERIALS PROBLEM ilirititili Official Wireless i (Received November 1, 8.10 p.m. 1 RUGBY, October 31. The United States munitions production report for September, issued by the head of the War Production Board, Mr. Nelson, showed the following increases over August:—Aeroplanes, 10 per cent.; ordnance, 7 per cent.; naval and army vessels, 22 per cent.; merchantmen, 10 per cent. Miscellaneous munitions, which includes all other items, remained virtually unchanged. The over-all production in September was only 7 per cent, greater limit in August. Many engineering difficulties have been overcome and the training of new workers is proceeding well, but serious problems still confront the industry in its rapid expansion. Foremost among these is the tight supply of raw materials.

During the month, 12 major combat vessels were launched. The construction. of merchantmen increased. 10 per cent, measured by value of new construction in the shipyards, but measured by tonnage the vessels delivered increased 34 per cent. Ninety-two more merchantmen were placed in service, which was 21 more than the previous top month, July. The deadweight tonnage of these vessels was 1,009,000, compared with 753,000 in August. Thus production in the single month of September closely approached the total American merchant shipping output last year. The American aeronautical mission, after touring aeroplane factories in Britain, paid a tribute to the British aircraft industry. The United States Director of Air Production, Mr. Wright, said the exchange of information would enable the immediate extensive incorporation of improvements in quality and output in the American industry. “The dispersal of factories impressed us; also the developments in technical engineering which must be secret,” lie said. '“The flexibility of the British aeroplane industry is most praiseworthy, permitting the incorporation of operationally needed changes as soon as possible when the men at the front find that some type of improvement is necessary to combat the enemy more successfully.” TRANSPORT PLANES Shipbuilder’s Contract NEW YORK, October 30. The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times” says that the War Department has informed the shipbuilder, Mr. John Higgins, that he is receiving a contract to build 1200 twin-engined transport planes. Dr. V. G. Heiser, consultant to the National Association of Manufacturers, told an industrial conference at Boston that 42,000 American war production workers had been killed, either on or off tlie job, since Pearl Harbour. He added that 11,000 war workers had been killed or injured every day since December 7, in spite of the industry’s efforts for accident prevention. Dr. Heiser said that 968,000,000 man hours bad been lost to vital war work this year alone, because of absence from work due to all causes.