Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS solomons battle cost mounts steadily slashes 1943 farm machine ou output tp ut but provides adequate parts supply winter helps russ defenders of volga EDITORS editions EDI TOnS NOTE when opinions are expressed in these columns they are those of 0 western newspaper unions news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper released by western newspaper union V 0 41 14 rf MM I 1 aw kne 01 or J i x with a picturesque south sea island landscape as a backdrop U S marines are shown taking bombs from a bomb garden concealed in the palm trees of guadalcanal Guadal canal island As operational flights fights against jap ships land forces and air bases in the solomon islands have been stepped up U S air forces have been increasingly employed FARM implements 20 per cent slash farmers would not have new tractors or new plows to hitch them to in 1943 but they would have plenty of repair parts to keep their present machinery operating that was clear when the war production board issued its drastic order slashing the production of 1943 farm equipment to 20 per cent of the 1940 total but permitting repair parts production to be per cent of 1940 operations forecasting industrial readjustments in other fields the order concentrated the new farm equipment output in the hands of small manufacturers in labor short age areas repair parts manufacture was left to the big producers this decision represented a victory for these companies which had held out for retention in their own plants of all the repair parts production thus preserving the identity of their specialized ciali zed trade name implements it likewise represented a concession to the department departs ent of agriculture which had strenuously urged a heavy program for repair parts manufacture while it opposed any new machinery cut below 50 per cent of the 1940 output RUSSIAN FRONT ally winter jointer comes winter was one ally that could give the hard pressed russians im immediate help for days past the engagements surging around stalin grad in the northeast and further south in the caucasus had been a race against time thus when snow swept across the don volga steppes the russians knew their reinforcements had arrived significant was the german high commands that the nazi drive in the caucasus had been impaired by continued bad weather and that the russians had undertaken strong tank led diversion attacks against the north flank of the nazi thrust into stalingrad Stal ingrad the strength of marshal timo shen kos relief assault from the north was indicated in the which said the russian kussian onslaughts ts had been undertaken with L lesh fresh esh strong infantry and tank forces SUBMARINE MENACE will get worse rear admiral emory S land chairman of the U S maritime commission warned the nation that the submarine menace is going to be progressively worse this winter speaking before the investment bankers association he said the menace would grow because of winters bad weather and longer nights giving U boats better opportunity f for or concealment SOLOMONS battle cost mounts guadalcanal Guadal canal with the only good airfield within hundreds of miles controls the southern solomons plus a sizeable ai aaen min the south pacific whoever holds band and uses that airfield rules that area the efforts of the japs to regain the guadalcanal Guadal canal airfield from its american defenders thus had strategic implications affecting the entire southwest pacific if the americans held they could protect allied supply lines keep the japs checkmated check mated an and d prepare e to expand their offensive sive the cost of the battle was high to both sides As planes ships and land forces jockeyed for favorable position the united states reported the loss of two destroyers the obrien and the meredith american planes retaliated by damaging a jap cruiser and and shooting down 12 enemy planes meanwhile west of the solomons allied bombers blasted enemy ships in new britaina Brit ains harbor of LABOR DRAFT 62 needed drafting of men and women for war work to meet the employment armed service demand of persons is inevitable paul V mcnutt war manpower director declared in testifying before the senate military affairs committee mcnutt listed three essentials which forthcoming manpower legislations must em embrace prace 1 employers in any area must be required to hire all workers through a benir central 1 bureau 2 methods of labor utilization must be controlled rolled to prevent employers fromi from hoarding workers 3 individuals must remain on the job or transfer to one more important to the war effort FEDERAL TAXES I 1 will pay more than americans became subject to direct federal taxation when president roosevelt signed the new wartime war time tax bill which congress has spent 10 months in compiling designed jo 40 produce revenues of close to 25 billion dollars yearly the new law extended the tax load to all americans making more than a year through the presidents prompt action in signing the bill 65 million dollars worth of higher excise taxes from liquor travel telephone service cigarettes telegrams and other items went into effect november 1 payable next march 15 are rec ord breaking normal and surtax levies on 1942 individual and corporation po ration income A special 5 per cent victory tax on all income in excess of 12 a wee week k will be deducted from pay envelopes after january 1 |