As expected, the first order of William H. Harrison, boss of the National Production Authority, put a ceiling on business inventories to prevent hoarding of scarce materials. The broad order, issued this week, covered 32 materials, all the way from iron, steel, copper, gypsum board and industrial alcohol to burlap and nylon yarn. (Retail buyers were not affected.) Businessmen were warned not to accumulate materials "beyond what is needed for immediate production."
But Harrison assured steel and copper men with whom he conferred that whatever businessmen had done to build up inventories before the order was issued was strictly their business....