How to Get a Priority

The urgent priority request of West Virginia's huge Weirton Steel Co. seemed reasonable enough to the War Production Board. The company wanted $6,000 worth of air-conditioning equipment for its hospital. Weirton officials argued that their millside hospital was the only one serving the 28,000 people of sooty, company-owned Weirton, W. Va., to say nothing of a long stretch of heavily traveled Highway 22. They got the equipment.

Later, WPB investigators made a rou tine check to see that all critical materials were being put to lawful use. At Weirton they halted in amazement. 'The small, twelve-bed hospital had mo kitchen, operating rooms, or ambulance. Most of all, it had no air conditioning. WPB roused up a Federal Grand Jury in Elkins, W. Va. It indicted the Weirton Co. on 37 counts, alleging misuse of war materials and false statements in applying for priorities.

The jury charged that the critical material requisitioned for the hospital and mill wound up high in the cool, green West Virginia hills in a country club for top Weirton executives. The air-conditioning unit went into the clubhouse bar. In addition, Weirton allegedly misused $72,000 of high-priority lumber, metals, plumbing supplies, etc. These materials were used to provide the clubhouse with such items as chrome-plated showers, new sleeping quarters, a new kitchen, ornamental stair rails, etc. To get the materials Weirton had simply used its M.R.O. (maintenance, repair and operation) rating, which makes it unnecessary to apply for priorities every time there is plant work to be done.

". . . They didn't even have the grace to drive the stuff past the hospital," roared one WPBster. "They took it straight to the club."

Last week, while Steelmaster Ernest Tener Weir declined to comment, Weirton Co.'s arraignment was postponed. Its trial was scheduled for early fall. Maximum penalty, guilty: a $10,000 fine on each' count. Possible total: $370,000.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.