New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-28
To List Factories
In Plan to Conscript
Nations Industries
By c. w. Gilbert

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27-To-night's
priority order, by which freight which
contributes to the manufacture of lux
uries is Disseminated against, is the
first step toward the effective organiza'
tion Of the country. 1t is beginning
in small way only, for there is a
natural disposition to disturb existing
industrial habits as little as possible.
The effect of drawing line be-
tween the essential and non-essen-
tial industries will be the gradual
elimination of the latter, or at least
their gradual reduction in volume TO
the point where they do not compete
with or interfere with the war actlvl-
ties of the nation. Factories whlch
are devoted TO non-essentials, not be-
ing able to be assured OF supplies, VIII
gradually swing over to the production
Of essentials, and thus the capacity OF
the nation to fight effectively VIII be
promoted. This is one of the biggest
steps in the nature of industrial con-
scriptiop that the country has taken
for the purpose Of making its whole
force count in the war. Every one OF
The warning nations has had TO take
it and proceed further with it than
this country, with its vast resources,
is likely to be compelled to proceed.
1t is in the nature of battleship's
stripping for action, getting off every
thing that is unnecessary, tightening
the burden that is to be carried. Linn
iting the non-essentials will Tighten
the burden on capital. the burden on
labor and the burden on transporta-
tion. II will check the competition Of
anything that does not contribute to
the war power of the country with the
, essential war industries for men and
money and railroad facilities.
Means Economy of Labor
With the nation a big borrower it
{ is necessary that no one should enter
the money market for any purpose that
will not make this country better able
to fight the Germans. Labor is scarce.
There is not enough to go around.
Steel production is 90 per cent short,
because Of want Of labor, want of coal,
which comes back to want of labor. and
want of transportation. Shpbuildlng
reports a labor shortage. Labor has TO
| be diverted from things that do not
/ help us win the war to things that do.
Transportation systems cannot re-
spond to the demands that are made
upon them. II takes from a week to
/ two weeks to ship an express package
from New York to Washington. A
country only has a certain capacity to
produce. And in war time that capac-
ity has to be directed toward the sole
end of supplying means for the na-
/ tional defence. That is what this com
ing step toward discriminating between
| the needful and the superfiuous means.
There being no legal authority in
! the priority board to establish any such
| industrial distinctions as IT IS proposed
to establish, the effectiveness OF the
| division into essentials and non-es-
sentials will apparently have 70 rest
! like the effectiveness of price fixing
upon the voluntary cooperation of the
business of the country.
Fortunately for the carrying out OF
the plans, mechanism has already
been established in the price-hxing ar
rangements that have been made. for II
will be chiefly in the industries In
which it has been necessary to hx
prices that priority will have to be
established.