New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-29
VIII Fix Priority of Manu-
b facture, Shipment
and Prices
Frank A. Scott
:. Will Be Chairman
Hoover and Baruch Will
Aid Him-Frayne Rep
resents Labor
From The Tribune Burcsul

Washington, July 2S.-The Council Of
National Defence to-day announced the
creation of a war industries board Of
seven members, to act as central in
dustrial mobilization agency and pur-
chasing committee for the government.
The new board, in addition to these
larger duties. will assume those former
ly discharged by the General Munitions
Board. II will be subject TO the control
Of the Council of National Defence. and
responsible through the council to the
President.
The membership Of the War Indus
tries Board will comprise Frank A.
Scott, Of Cleveland, chairman; Lieuten-
ant Colonel Palmer f. Pierce, repre-
senting the army; Rear Admiral Frank
F. Fletcher. representing the navy;
Bernard NJ. Baruch, Of New York, chair
man of the Raw Materials Committee
Of the Council Of National Defence;
Hugh Frayne, Of New York. representa-
tive Of labor; Robert S. Brookings, q
st. Louis business man, and Robert s.
Lovett, chairman of the executive COM
mittee Of the Union Pacific Railroad.
Board To BE Clearing House
The board will act as clearing house
for the war industry needs Of the gov
ernment, determining the most effective
ways Of meeting them through in
creased production. This will include
the creation or extension Of industries
demanded by war emergencies, deter
mination Of the sequence and relative
urgency Of the needs Of the different
government services, and consideration
Of price factors. The board will also
handle the industrial and labor aspects
of problems involved, and general ques-
tions.. affecting the purchase Of COM
fnodities.
Mr.. Baruch will give his attention
particularly to raw materials. Mr..
Brookings to finished products and Mr.
Lovett to matters Of priority Of ship
ments. These three members, in asso-
citation with Mr.. Hoover, so far as food
stuffs are involved, will constitute a
commission to arrange purchases in
accordance with the general policies
formulated and approved.
According TO a statement issued by
the Council of Defence the purpose Of
creating the new board is to expedite
the work Of the government. to furnish
needed assistance TO the departments
engaged in making war purchases, to
devolye clearly and definitely the i'm.
portant tasks indicated upon direct rep.
resentatives Of the government not In.
terested in commercial and industrial
activities with which they will be called
upon TO deal, and to make clear tina,
there is total dissertation Of the indus
trial committees from the actual ar.
rangement Of purchases on behalf oj
the government.
Responsibility To BE Fixed
1t will lodge responsibility for effec
tive action as definitely as is possibls
under existing law. IL does not min
imize or dispense with the splendid
service which representatives Of indus
try and labor have so unselfshly placed
at the disposal of the government.
'The Council of National Defence
and the Advisory Commission will con-
tinue unchanged and will discharge the
duties imposed upon them b. law"
says the statement. "The committees
heretofore created Immediately subor-
dinate to the Council of National De-
fence-namely, labor, transportation
and communication, shipping, medicine
end surgery, women's defence work, CO.
operation with state councils, research
and inventions, engineering and educa-
tion, commercial economy, administre~
tiors and statistics and inland trans
portation-wll continue their sctivi-
ties under the direction and control Of
the council. Those whose work Is re-
lated to the duties of the war indus
tries board will cooperate with il. The
spb-committees advising on particular
industries and materials, both raw and
finished, heretofore created will also
continue in existence, and be available
to furnish assistance to the war in
dustries board"
Situation To Be Cleared
The creation Of the new purchasing
! machinery apart from the Council OF
Defence will clear away a situation
which has been embarrassing members
Of the councils advisory commission for
some months. II has been repeatedly
charged that members Of the subsidiary
organization Of the Council Of National
Defence have exceeded their authority
under the national defence act in as
sisting in the negotiation OF govern
ment contracts. In some cases II has
been charged that committee members
I Of the council have participated in the
| arrangement Of government purchases
from concerns in which they were fnan-
cially interested.
Members of the advisory commission
have been most insistent for some
weeks that the President create q spe-
cial purchasing body. While the ad-
visory commission has successfully de-
| Tended allegations Of members Of Con.
gress that contracts were being nego.
tiated to the advantage Of members OF
, the council organization negotiating
them, they have, nevertheless, felt KEEN
| iy the criticism, and have agreed that
! existing purchasing machinery organ