The sun., 1918-09-16
STATE WILL HALT
NON-WAR BUILDING
Industries Board Confers Pow
crs to Pass on Proposed
Construction.
WILL CUT OFF MATERIAL
Whole Plan Based on Necessity
of Making the Nation
Work or Fight.
Special Despa,ch TO THr STU.

ALBAS1, Sept. 15.--ln order to stop
building not absolutely necessary in win
ming the war. the War Industries Board
has asked the State Defence Council TO
pass upon all proposed corstructtea. The
work will be done through the County
Home Defence Committees.
The county committees will transmit
recommendations, with summary or
facts. TO the State Defence Council, which
viii review the case If the State coun-
Gil rules against construction work the
War Industries Board will back UP the
action. But n county councils and the
state council are too lenient and approve
unnecessary construction the War Indus
tries Board has power 10 step in and
stop the work.
The whole plan Is based on the neces-
sity OF making the nation work or night,
putting everything on a win the war
basis. All construction work where the
cost comes 20 $4,000 or more must be
referred to the county councils for
action
Ability Of the War Industries Board
TO enforce this plan rests upon the fact
that II controls priorties and has also
secured from the manufacturers Of build
ing materials a pledge not 10 supply ma
terials for projects which are not author
lied under the regulations Of the War
Industries Board.
National Powers Delegated.
Extension to the State Defence Coun.
Gil Of the power to stop unnecessary
building construction comes as a result
Of the interchange OF letters between the
President and the Secretary Of War
who Is chairman OF the Council of Ma
tional Defence, in which the President
approved the suggestion that the ma
chinery of the State defence councils Of
the nation should be used as much as
possible instead of creating extensive
bureaus OF Federal departments.
In a letter to GOV. Whitman. chair
man OF the State Defence Council,
Arthur II. Fleming. chief of the section
on cooperation Of States OF the Council
OF National Defence, said:
1T is hardly too much to say that
the success OF the entire rriorities sys-
tenn of the Government will under this
plan depend upon you. We trust you
will give II your unremitting attention
and at the same time impress upon your
entire organization the fact that this
task will be one Of their most important
functions"
Councils will not have anything TO do
in regard TO undertakings by the War
Navy Department. Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation. Bureau of
Industrial Housing and Transportation
OF the Department Of Labor. the United
states Housing Corporation and the
following civilian enterprises:
Repairs of or extensions TO existing
buildings involving in the aggregate
At not exceeding $500
Lines Of Exemption Narrow.
Roadwsys. buildings and other
structures undertaken by or under con-
tract with the United States Railroad
Administration or a railroad operated
by such administration.
These directly connected with mines
producing coal. metals and ferro-alloy
minerals
Punlr highway improvements and
street pavements when expressly ap-
proved in writing by the United States
Highways Council.
For building projects not falling
within one of the classes mentioned
there will b<required a special written
permit issued by the chief Of non-war
construction section of the priorities di-
vision Of the War Industries Board
Any one contemplating building
which he Conceives to be in the public
Interest. or Of such essentially that
under existing conditions il should not
Ne deferred. should make a fun state
nent Of the facts In writing under oath
and present il to the local representa-
tive Of the Council OF National Defence
for his approval