Business: Facts, Figures

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> What civilian production there is will be more & more concentrated in small plants. This policy was implicit in a WPB order to the stove and range industry: after July 31, all normal production must come from the 250-odd plants of companies with annual sales of $2,000,000 or less; 92 larger plants must go to war.

> WPB and the Army & Navy Munitions Board announced that there is not enough steel even for essential uses, which now amount to 117% of the maximum steel capacity of the U.S. (which has 50% of the whole world's capacity). Of the 117%, 67% is earmarked for Army, Navy, Maritime Commission and Lend-Lease; 14% for essential industries such as farm equipment and the railroads; 18% for new plants to make aluminum, rubber, etc.; 18% for other uses rated A-10 or better.

> Because local steel ingot capacity is insufficient, Youngstown Sheet & Tube is offering to dismantle its Brier Hill (Ohio) plate mill, ship its equipment to any interested bidder. Reported bidders: American Rolling Mill, perhaps for its new Texas operations; Henry J. Kaiser, for his new California plant.

> WPB reported that 100 corporations are now turning out 76% of all war contracts over $50,000, v. 82% last fall. More than half are still held by only 28 companies, 21% by only four.

> First major anti-inflation move by labor: A.F. of L. and C.I.O. negotiators for U.S. shipyard workers agreed to take a 7% over-all wage increase instead of the 13% their cost-of-living contract specified, and to take it in war bonds.