Haft Called on Non-Essentiaf Construction

Washington, D. C., April 9, 1942_'the War production Board today called a halt to non-essential construction.

Effective immediately, Conservation Order L-41 prohibits the start of unauthorized construction proiects which use material and construction equipment needed in the war eftort. lt also places all new publicly and privately financed construction und.er rigid control, except for certain strictly limited categorles.

The action was taken by the WPB because the war requirements of the United States have created a shortage of materials for war production and construction. It is-in the national interest, the Board stated, that all construction which is not essential, directly or indirectly, to the successful prose- cution of the war and which involvei the use of labor. miterial or equipment urgently needed in the war efiort, be'deferred for the duration of the emergency.

Many- of the same nrateriali, such as iron, steel and copper, are used by both essential and non-essential construction. incl the same materials are largely used for war production. Since there-is not enough-of these materials for both war production and for less essential use, the order, in effect, alloiates these materials away from un-necessary construction, and into ships, planes, tanks, guns, defense housing and other essential pioduction.

This step goep qqch further than the SPAB policy announcement of Oct. 9, 1941. In that announcement, if r,r,as made cle-ar that no- priority assistance would be given to non-essential construction. In today's order, howeverl it is providecl that no, construcfion may. be started (except in a iew specified cases) without permission.

..Equally binding up.on property owners, builders and sup- pliers, the order prohibits not only the start of construction in most categories,, but also the withdrawal from inventory and the purchase, sale or delivery of any material for use in such construction unless expressly authoiized by the War production Board.

_ The order specifically provides that no residential construction except for maintenance and repair work may be started without permission if its estimated cost is $500 or niore. Similarly, no new agricultural construction may be started if the estimated cost is $1,000 or more for the particular building or gr^olect involved. No other constructionl including commercial, industrial, recreational, institutional, highwayl roadway, sub-surface and utilities construction, whether publiclv o_r privately.financed, may be initiated without permiision if the cost of the project amounts to $5,000 or more.

.Ih. computing_ such costs, the amount spent on the project within 12 months of the date of beginning construction, and subsequent to April 7,1942, is included. -

Specific types of co_nstruction, however, are necessarily exempt from the provisions of the order. These include:- l. Projects which will be the propertv of the Armv. Navv. Coast Guard, Maritime Commisiion and certain otnti tisted agencies of the Federal Government;

2. Projects to reconstruct or restore, residential propertv damaged or-destroyed on or after Januarv I, 1942,' bv nr6, flood, tornado, earthquake or the pdblic enemy.

3. Projects_of the -tyqe- restricted or contiolled by provisions of the orders of the M-68 series, which cover the-produc- tion and distribution of petroleum.

It was emphasized, however, that the order does not affect ordinary maintenance and repair work to return a structure to sound working condition without a change of design.

Officials charged with the administration of the'L-4l order are considering a plan to issue to authorized projects an emblem or insignia to be conspicuously. posted on.the job to show that the construction has been -approved by the War Production Board.

Although the -order lpplies only to construction not yet commenced, projects_ already under construction are being carefully examined by the War Production Board on ai individual basis. Such projects may be stopped if the scarce materials to be used in them can be pirt to more effective use in the war program.

Where priority assistance is eranted by the War Production Board, authority to commence construction will be issued by the Director of Industry Operations on appropriate forrns of orders in the P series.

_ These include preference rating orders of the P-14 series, P-19 series, P-4I, P-46, P-55, P-98, P-l10 and P-l15. (See attached Schedule A for types of Construction). Preferince ratings extended on PD-l or PD-IA forms or by any other P order than those listed in the L-41 order do not constitute authorization to begin construction.

Facilities of the Federal Housing Administration have been made available to the War Production Board in the administration of this order and applications for authority to start construction will be filed with the local offices of the F'ederal Housing Administration on Forms PD-200 and PD-200A, copies of which may be obtained at any of the district War Production Board offices or at any local office of the Federal Housing Administration. The public is urged to file only emergency applications during the next month, as it is antitipated-that authorization will be given only for emetgency projects. Authority to begin construction will be grantedonly wtren ttre design and specifications conform with- the standirds established for the minimum use of critical materials, and no materials will be used on the project that do not conform with the conditions of the authorization granted to begin construction.

On the basis of criteria established by the-Director of Indq_stry Operations of the War Produciion Board, the local officer of the Federal Housins Administration will decide whether or not the project is eligible for recommendation to the War Production Board. If tfie project is deemed eligible, the application will be_ forwarcled by-the Federal Housing Administration to the administrator of the order for finai'consideration.

. If .the applicatign is denied by the local Federal Housing Administration office, based on itre Wpg criteria, provisioi is made for an appeal to an appeals board to consiit of the administrator of the order, a representative of labor and a third member who will represent the end product branch of the War Production Board within whose iurisdiction the class of project or construction would fall.

A copy of the Order follows:

Title 32-National Defense

Chapter IX-War Production Board

Subchapter B-Division of Industry Operations

Part l075-Construction

CONSERVATION ORDER NO. L.41

War requirements of the United States have created a shortage -of all materials required for war production and construction necessary thereto, for private aicount and for export;the War Production Board aciordingly has stated as iti policy that it is in the national interest thii all construction which is not essential, directly or indirectly, to the successful prosecution of the war, and which involves'the utilization of labor, material or construction plant urgently needed in the war effort, be deferred for the duration oJ th6 emergency; the (Continued on Page 10)

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