E 4X
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
TUESDAY, MAY 20,1941
Ann Arbor Industry Expands Plants For Defense Pr
gram
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Large Orders Increase
Labor, Machine Forces
Material Shortages, Priority Ratings Cause
Output Delay In Assembly, Tool Shops
By DAN BEHRMAN and ROBERT MANTHO
(Ed. Note-The figures and information in this article are intended to give a
representative survey of the part played by Ann Arbor industry in production for
national defense.)
The city of Ann Arbor-not the coke parlors or the Diagonal-presents
a picture of industry geared for full production in the government's defense
program.
Machine tool and assembly plants throughout the city have expanded
labor forces and equipment to meett
the demands of a nation in arms.
Delicate valve springs and heavy-
duty drill parts are in process of man-
ufacture within sight of Ferry Field,
Cannon Output
Is Speeded Up
American Broach and Machine
Company, located on West Huron
Street, has led the machine tool in-
dustry in developing a new technique
for rifling aircraft cannon barrels.
According to F. J. Lapointe, vice-
president in charge of production, his
company now rifles a 105 mm. barrel
in 50 minutes, a saving of 17 hours
over previous methods. Fuse caps,
propeller hub parts and tank gears
are also turned out by this plant,
which has received top priority rat-
ings for its raw materials.
Even with these preferences, Amer-
ican has encountered delays in de-
livery of certain metals, such as a
three month hold-up in tungsten steel
supplies. "It's a case of waiting," Mr.
Lapointe noted, "although the great
bulk of our plant facilities are now de-
voted entirely to defense work."
American, which is operating with
a labor force of 290 men, is hampered
by the general shortage of skilled
workmen. This deficiency has consid-
erably delayed the introduction of a
full twenty-four hour shift.
"There is no 'bottle-neck' in ma-
chine tools," Mr. Lapointe declared.
"In 1939 the industry produced $200,-
000,000 worth of machinery, while,
first quarter reports for 1941 -in-
dicate that this year's output will be
$750,000,000, an increase of almost
300 per cent in less than two years."
ly, is now engaged in producing an-
ti-tank gun and torpedo boat parts.
besides doing sub-contract work on
air-cooled radio engines. Stanley
High, production "follow up" man,
estimates his firm's defense orders at
$50,000.
The problem of obtaining raw ma-
terials is greater at Precision than in
machine tool paInts. Priorities? "Too
many of them!" is Mr. High's opin-
ion.
Pressure is brought to bear on OPM
by individuals only indirectly connect-
ed with national defense work, he
explained. This accounts for an ex-
cess of priorities, making them in
many cases valueless. Orders from
Precision's commercial customers are
frequently given defense priority rat-
ings months after their acceptance,
thus forcing a revision of production
schedules.
Precision has been able to supply
its commercial customers to a lim-
ited extent through authorized sub-
stitution of metals employed. Carbon
of chrome-vanadium steel can thus
be used in place of nickel alloy
steel - almost impossible to obtain
for non-defense purposes.,
One of the most annoying delays
in the defense program is that caused
by subcontracting, Mr. High asserted.
This lag goes "all the way down the
line."
Million Dollar
Order Taken
The defense orders for Internation-
al Industries, Inc., a camera manu-
facturer, ran just short of a million
dollars, Robert Miller, secretary of the
company stated. These orders entail
the production of sights for large cal-
ibre aircraft guns together with len-
ses for fire-control apparatus.
Precision Hits
Priority Snag
:o substitute brass for aluminum and
eplace stainless steel. As yet, Inter-
rational has found no need to use
lastics in place of metal, but Mr.
VAiller admitted difficulty in getting
materials, even under priorities.
Since the acceleration of the gov-
mrnment's program this year, Inter-
national has added a $100,000 exten-
sion to its plant capacity. The com-
pany employs approximately 400 men
of whom 50 per cent are skilled.
Torpedo Heads
Are Produced
Biggest employer in Ann Arbor out-
side of the University, the King-
Seely Corporation has 1270 men on its
payroll. Ordinarily it is a producer of
electrical gauges, die-castings and
precision instruments, but it is now
also making torpedo warheads, range
finders for airplanes and instruments,
used in the Army's new "Jeep" scout
cars.
Personnel director Lawrence E.
Quinn explained that his plant is
concerned more with assembly than'
with the manufacture of machine
tools. However, its machine depart-
ment is operating on a full twenty-
four basis, and Mr. Quinn anticipates
a great increase in assembly opera-
tions by next September.
There is an excess of unskilled
labor at present, he declared, since
many industries are still tooling.
Labor has been migrating from the
South in increasing quantities, but
there is little prospect of its absorp-
tion until after the summer.
King-Seely is experiencing little
'difficulty with labor shortage, since
it has always had an apprentice
system for training tool and die-
Imakers.
A man is considered a skilled die-
maker at Kng-Seely after he has
undergone an intensive four-year in-
struction program, Mr. Quinn stated.
This should present some idea of the
problem in securing skilled labor for
expanding plants.
Lack Of Labor
Is Encountered
Economy Baler Company, located
on North Main Street near the Huron
River, is turning over 95 per cent of
its production to direct and indirect
defense uses. Economy supplies ma-
chines for bailing aluminum, dural,
scrap metals and any other materials
that can be compressed into a small
space.
Economy is one of the Ann Arbor
firms affected by the activities of
out-of-town- corporations in hiring
labor.President George W. Langford
lays this practice to the cost-plus
contract in which the government
pays all costs for the manufacturer.
In commenting on the prolific use:
of priorities, President Langford de-
clared that strict preference ratings
have forced some firms to abandon
much of their commercial business.
In many fields it is impossible to
obtain essential materials for non-
defense purposes, he said -- and thus
companies must take on government
orders.
Specifications
Delay Buhr
Changes in specificatiors, espec-
ially on aircraft orders have hindered
production at Buhr Machine Tool,
Inc., President Joseph F. Buhr stated
in discussing tie-ups in the defense
program. Alterations in the design
of airplanes call for revision of the
machine tools used in their produc-
tion, and thus Buhr loses time waiting
for government approvals on the new
machines.
Manufacturers of multiple drilling,
tapping and boring equipment for
the automobile industry, Buhr is now
building tools for tank production.
Cradles for the 75 mm. guns used on
the Army's medium tanks are bored
by its machines. Operations on air-
craft parts and tank transmissions
are also performed by Buhr products.
Key operations have now been put
on a twenty-four hour basis and a
new addition to the plant has been
opened within the last three months.
Top priorities for machine tool com-
panies have aided Buhr, although
there is a shortage in bearings for its
own machinery.
Alpha Nu, Speech Group,
Inducts Officers Today
New officers will be inducted today
by Alpha Nub honorary speech fra-
ternity, at its last meeting of the
year, to be held in the Angell Hall
chapter room.
After the induction of officers and
the presentation of Kappa Phi Sigma
certificates to graduating senior mem-
bers, the meeting will be turned into
a forum open to all students. George
Shepard, '41, and Gerald Schafland-
er, '42, will lead the discussion on
"Interventionism vs. Isolationism."
QUALITY
11 LIFE INSURANCE
AT LOW COST
Speec hRobot
To Be Heard
On Thursday
Speaking on "The Artificial Cre-
-ation of Speech,?' Dr. J. 0. Perrine of
American Telephone and Telegraph
will bring Pedro the Voder, Bell Tele-
phone's amazing mechanical voice, to
Ann Arbor Thursday for a lecture-
demonstration in Hill Auditorium.
Brought here through the courtesy
of Bell Telephone and under the aus-
pices of the electrical engineering
department, Pedro will assist Dr. Per-;
rine at the lecture, demonstrating the
formation of the different speech
ounds as well as presenting the more
spectacular feats of which he is cap-
able.
Although his topic is given as being
on the creation of speech, Dr. Perrine
will probably discuss other interesting
things about telephone work, Prof.
Benjamin F. Bailey of the eletrical
engineering department predicted.
Several electrical engineering fac-j
ulty men will attend a special ban-j
New Michigan
Technic Goes
On Sale Today
Staff Will Offer Special
194142 Subscriptions
To Graduating Seniors
Thirty-six pages of well-illustrated
Michigan Technic, containing three
large feature articles, will go on sale
today in the East Engineering Build-
ing lobby, over the Engineering Arch
and in front of the Secretary's office,
second floor, West Engineering Build-
ing.
Highlighting the final issue of the
year are "Riding Comfort," by Prof.
Walter E. Lay of the automotive en-
gineering department, "Cellulose Ace-
tate," by Blaie B. Kuist, '41E, and
"Motion Study and Its Relation to
Machine Design," by Guy J. Bates,
master mechanic.
Other articles appearing in the big-
gest issue since May, 1939, are "Glass
Plant Inspection Trip," "Open House
Highlights," a special article on en-
gineering honor and professional soci-
eties and an editorial, "Award for
Service."
A special offer of 1941-42 subscrip-
tions to the Teclnic will be made to
graduating seniors, the staff guaran-
teeing delivery no matter where the
student may be next year.
Local Chinese students will con-
luct tag day drives on Friday and
Saturday to aid sufferers in war-torn
areas of China.
The campus campaign is part of
the national United China Relief ef-
fort which comes to a close this week.
aov. Murray D. Van Wagoner has
proclaimed Sunday, May 25, as
"China Sunday" to aid the final
move for funds for civilian relief.
The students here have already
thanked Gov. Van Wagoner for his
help in an exchange of letters.
The University became famous for
its Chinese student community not
long after 1893 when Dr. James B.
Angell, president at the time, was,
envoy to China and encouraged gov-
ernment leaders there to send stu-
dents to America and to the Univer-
sity.
The Chinese enrollment now num-
By GEORGE W. SALLADE
Chinese Tag Day Begins Friday
ine30 g & eg8 ( )
rj _____
I.
1
I
quet to
before
said.
be held in Dr. Perrine's honor'
the lecture, Professor Bailey
-------~~~-~~~-~~-~~~--~~~
An Editorial.
(Continued from Page 1)
faculty must dominate the Publi-
cations Board."
You are the people who elect the
student members to the Publica -
tions Board. Are you going to sit
idly and allow your student repre-
sentatives on the Board to be placed
in the position of "advisers" in a
faculty "dominated" Board? They'll
be no more than thai we assure
you; though he didn't have his way,
the chairman of the Council com-
mittee said he didn't think the stu-
dent members should even have a
vote on the Board.,
THOSE ARE THE ISSUES, as we
see them. Stated in more ab-
stract terms, the right and the need
of students to exercise a responsible
part in the governing of their af-
fairs is at stake. Though you may
disagree with us on many subjects,
as, you have in the past and we
anticipate in the future, all of us
can agree on that principle. It is
not only the assertion of a right,
but it is equally the assumption of
responsibility, by the student body,
the student Board members, and
the editors whom the Board selects.
It is in this spirit that the individ-
uals who have sponsored the peti-
tion drive, ask you to add your
name.
Gerhart."Seo.er
To Talk Here
Gerhart Seger, former member of
the German Reichstag and vigorous
anti-Nazi author and lecturer, will
speak at 4:15 p.m. tomorrow on
"What Confronts America" at the
Rackham Lecture Hll under the
mmice-s of the hecal chanter of the
i
_I
City Council
Votes Airport
Money Bill
l
Precision Parts, Inc., manufacturers This company is also plagued with
of automobile wrist-pins commercial- prioities trouble and has been forced
Following the recommendation of
the budget committee, the Common
Council at its meeting last night
voted unanimously to appropriate
$1,500 for the improvement of the
Ann Arbor airport.
According to the report of the bud-
get committee the funds appropriated
were to be used for leveling and grav-
eling the runways of the airport. Al-
derman Dobson made the correction
that the primary purpose of the funds
was to widen the runways.
The need for such action has been
quite apparent since the unfortunate
incident of the army planes several
weeks ago. At that time, a visiting
party of army planes was prevented
from landing when two of the'planes
became stuck in the mud at the side
of the runways.
Also up before the Common Coun-
cil, which meets every second Monday,
was a proposal for a new tractor to
be used for airport grading and for
various other city purposes.
Muskegon Gets Air Line
WASHINGTON, May 19.-(OP)-The
Civil Aeronautics Boardngave Penn-"
sylvania-Central Airlines authority:
today to provide direct service-" be-
tween Muskegon, Mich., and Chicago.
The board's order allows the line
to serve Muskegon as an intermediate
point on flights between Chicago and
Grand Rapids and points beyond
without any reduction in service to
Grand Rapids.
I-
bers 75 out of a once-reached peak
of 200. This group, however, is still
the largest on any campus outside of
China. Many of these students are
the sons and daughters of wealthy
families who have been impoverished
by the war.
In 1938 in a drive for funds an
opera and concert gained $600. A
Chinese christmas card sale secured
$400. A 1939 bazaar and ice cream
social contributed $2300 while another
card sale added $200.
NOTICE
Students interested in tryouts
for next year's Gargoyle are in-
vited to attend a meeting at 4:30
p.m. tomorrow in the Gargoyle of-
fice in the Publications Building.
I
i
WITH MARCHAN DE'S
auspAt1 1'Iau Ic
Committee To Defend America By Edmonson At Meetig
Aiding The Allies. Dean James B. Edmonson of the
Seger, who - spoke here last fall ;ducaticn school is attending a four-
before a large audience, is now edi- Jay meeting of the Educational Poli-
tor of the Neuevolkzeitung, a New ies Commission at Skytop, Pa.
York newspaper. For the past two The meeting, which began Sunday,
years he has also lectured widely, s a gathering of the leading educa-,
speaking in almost every state in the ors of the nation for a discussion on
country. 1roblems of their field.!
-I
_i/ic ilia wit I/he t 1 ivt
rnelaCI.l[arCXi afarc/h
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