Maybe 10^, Maybe Less

Richard Samuel Reynolds, smart boss of Reynolds Metals Co., who will soon be Aluminum Co. of America's one competitor, last week told a Senate committee that he will produce aluminum for 12-c---maybe 10-c---when his Alabama and West Coast plants get in production. At 10-c- a pound, the No. 1 light metal of World War II would cost only half what it did last year, before Alcoa's three consecutive cuts brought it to 17-c-.

Since war began, U.S. aluminum capacity has risen from 160,000 to 425,000 tons annually. Even this is not enough. Last week, RFC's Metals Reserve Co. got aid from Britain by persuading Aluminum Co. of Canada (which had earmarked its whole output for Britain) to sell the U.S. $63,000,000 worth of aluminum. To fill the order, the company will spend $60,000,000 expanding its Quebec plants. Such increases in capacity, reinforced by competition, may some day make even 10-c- aluminum look expensive.

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