H. R. Northup Comments on Conseryation Order No. L-41

H. R. Northup, secretary-manager of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, commenting on Conservation Order No. L-41, the purpose of which is to prevent the start of " . all construction which is not essential. directlv or indirectly, to the successful prosecution of the *ut and which involves the utilization of labor, material, or construction plant urgently needed in the war effort . ," states:

This Order Does Not "Stop Building" and

Does Not "Freeze" Dealer Inventories in the Ordinary Sense of Those Words

You will note that the Order is now a general restriction on building including all building materials, labor and construction plant, rather than an order restricting the use of metals, as originally planned.

This Order has been in the course of preparation for three months. Its probable contents have been the subject of the wildest type of rumor, and the entire construction industry has been in a state of utmost uncertainty as to the course of its future activities.

Restriction-Prohibited Construction : Section IO75.l (b) states:

"No person shall, after the date of issuance of this order, Begin Construction, or order, purchase, accept delivery of, withdraw from inventory, or in any other manner secure or use material or construction plant in order to Begin Construction" . except in certain classifications without first obtaining authorization to do so from the War Production Board.

"Begin Construction":

Note the definition under paragraph (6) Definitions. Previous drafts of this Order had indicated that onlv construction projects which already had the foundations coinpleted could proceed. The definition indicates that, if the construction is already initiated by incorporating into such construction material which is an integral part of the job, construction has "begun."

Where construction has "begun," the job may be completed, so far as this Order is concerned. The War Production Board states that there will be no assurance that a project deemed non-essential to the war effort will not be stopped, if the scarce materials to be used in that job can be put to more efiective use in the war program. In making this statement, however, we believe the War Production Board does not mean it to apply to the type of project which the average retail lumber dealer or his builder would have under construction, namely, small homes, farm buildings, and other structures of this type. The Board, we believe, means, for example, that if there'is a moving picture theatre or country club under construction, using structural steel and other scarce materials, such construction might be stopped, because it is, in truth, non-essential and is utilizing materials needed elsewhere.

What You CAN Build in ANY Area:

In explanation of this Order it seems best to list the types of construction not prohibited, rather than the types which are. We are, therefore, listing below the types of

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