Show R W AI AIR R BE EN Washington D D. D C. C EGGS AND STEEL The senate could learn a lot from the house about brevity in public ad ad- dress Members of the house have learned to express themselves without without without with with- out taking two hours hours in in fact some of the best speeches last for only one minute The other day Congressman WIlham William William Wil Wil- liam ham L L. L Nelson of Missouri rose inthe in hi hithe inthe the house and said Mr Speaker I ask unanimous consent to speak for forone forone forone one minute Then he delivered himself of the following within exactly exactly exactly ex ex- ex- ex 60 seconds The gavel fell in inthe inthe inthe the midst of applause from the other congressmen Mr Speaker headlines and footnotes footnotes footnotes foot foot- notes are always interesting and thought In the metropolitan itan press I note such headlines as these Indiana Standard Clears 33 Record Breaking Backlog by Republic Steel Earned by Eastman Eastman Eastman East East- man Kodak General Motors has Sales Record with in 1940 Anaconda Copper Earns 35 United Sta States es Steel Reports 26 Per Cent Business Rise And so on Then in contrast I notice this footnote in a country weekly Eggs strictly fresh 14 to 15 cents a dozen LABOR SHORTAGE A totally different labor problem than strikes gives increasing worry to defense chiefs Some even consider consider consider con con- sider it more serious serious eventually eventually than disputes between management and unions It is the problem of securing trained workers for vital defense oc oc- oc- oc The Navy Army-Navy Munitions board has just completed a confidential report report report re re- re- re port listing occupations in which serious labor shortages are likely soon The report warns that the tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- tre- tre increase in production as high as 60 per cent in some industries industries industries indus indus- tries is certain to aggravate the problem The training program of the N National National Na Na- a- a Youth administration and others others others oth oth- ers will afford some relief but the labor shortage is so urgent that authorities authorities authorities au au- au- au have quietly taken steps to cull skilled workmen out of the draft Over men are slated to be called to the colors by July 1 1 And although the Selective Service law bars group deferments so desperate desperate desperate des des- is the need for trained labor that draft boards have b been en advised to exercise the greatest care in inducting inducting inducting in in- ducting certain groups Among these are experienced merchant seamen also apprentices in highly skilled occupations occupations lens lens grinders toolmakers chemists aircraft aircraft aircraft air air- craft mechanics and other crafts which the Navy Army-Navy Munitions board calls occupations that have special significance in the national defense program AMERICAN RUBBER When a government bureau moves fast that's news A bureau of the department of agriculture beginning beginning beginning begin begin- ning last August has completed a survey of potential rubber production production production tion in 11 Latin-American Latin countries and is now moving into two more But more important than speed the survey is the first step in hi an important range long-range plan to make this country independent of East Indian Indian Indian In In- dian sources for rubber and in increase increase increase in- in crease trade between the Americas Earlier this year congress appropriated appropriated appropriated to the department of agriculture to develop rubber production First objective is to establish two permanent experimental stations one for Central America the other for South America It is almost certain certain certain tain that they will be located in Costa Rica and Brazil Brazil originally produced most of the worlds world's rubber but the seeds were smuggled out of the country by the British who set up their own rubber plantations in Malaya The present drive is to restore to Latin Latin Latin Lat Lat- in America her birthright in this essential essential essential es es- es- es product THRILLED A FARMER A home town farmer friend was kidding homely Claude secretary of agriculture about sitting sitting sitting sit sit- ting next to Clark Gable at the Presidents President's defense fireside chat You know Claude the friend said there are a lot of young ladies ladies ladies la la- la- la dies back in Indiana whose hearts fluttered when they heard you were paling around with a movie star Well replied ruefully just about the closest I ever came to getting the ladies excited e ROUND MERRY In the caste-bound caste British navy enlisted enlisted enlisted en en- listed men can rise to the rank of lieutenant commander but the U. U S. S navy does docs not permit enlisted men mento mento mento to take examinations for permanent commissions except in one branchI branch branch- the supply section Dr George A. A Buttrick former president of the Federal Council of Churches and a supporter of Herbert Hoovers Hoover's plan to feed occupied Nazi-occupied Europe claims that Secretary of State Hull Hull also approves the idea |