RUBBER SALVAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24968, 15 July 1942, Page 3

RUBBER SALVAGE

" AMERICAN CAMPAIGN WASHINGTON, (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) July 13. The Secretary of Commerce, Mr Jesse Jones, said that four large rubber scrap companies had been engaged to buy scrap rubber for the Government-owned rubber reserve company He emphasised that the companies were rendering services without profit, being reimbursed only for actual costs and expenses. Mr Elliott Simpson, counsel for the House Committee which is investigating the scrap rubber drive, alleged yesterday that the four companies were reaping enormous profits from their activities. Rubber exoerts told the S,enate s Agriculture Committee that the production ctf synthetic rubber from alcohol was faster, cheaper and more efficient than the petroleum process now favoured by the Government. Experts testified that the alcohol process would also use fewer critical materials than petroleum, although officials of the War Production Board opposed the alcohol method on the ground that it would take critical materials away from the munitions programme. Later Senator G. M. Gillette condemned the Government's petroleum melhed. declaring that Government officials realised the advantages of the alcohol method, but were guilty of inexcusable carelessness in failing to act on their knowledge.