“Diskers Still Fear Shellac Grab by Govt.
NEW YORK, Aug. 29. – After more than four months of shellac rationing, during which there has been one alteration in the government's method of doling out the stuff and at least 5,000 rumors about as many other alterations, there continues to be no basis in fact for fears that War Production Board intends to cut off diskers' supply.

When the most recent WPB shellac order was released, stating that diskers will henceforth be required to make formal application for each allotment of shellac, some assumed that all was over and that scrap would be the only source of the material. However, the industry filed their requisition forms and were granted 15 per cent of last year's consumption during the last half of August and all of September for the corresponding period this year. The order naturally applies to all firms.

While 15 per cent of last year's September consumption might not seem like a lot for use in September, 1942, none of the record firms are squawking. Shellac scrap salvage brings in heartening amounts of the substance, and the amount of shellac in this year's record has been cut down.

Only complaints from diskers come when they give way to fears that the next time they apply for shellac they will get only 10 per cent, or 5 per cent, or no shellac at all.

Should it become necessary for the government to use all shellac there is always the mysterious George Clark whose Clark Phonograph Company in Newark, N.J., is said to have been manufacturing shellacless platters for Capitol Records. Clark refuses to discuss the matter with executives of the major outfits. His lack of responsiveness leads to the belief that his shellacless disk formula is not procurable in sufficient quantity to make it worth while to them.

Meanwhile the big companies continue to wrestle with their own various substitutes and can be expected to have them worked out in plenty of time should they ever be needed.

Firms have until the end of September on the present 15 per cent basis. They persist in believing that after that WPB will cut them off on the ground that they have ample time to develop adequate substitutes. It should be remembered, however, that they have been prophesying such doom ever since the beginning of the shellac trouble. Even should their morbid forebodings eventually pan out, competent observers assure that, between scrap salvage and substitutes, they'll get along fine.”
[Billboard, Amusement Machines, 5 Sept. 1942, p.62]