Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-18
GARFIELD SLASHES
BRICK PRODUCTION
Output Cut by Half as Result
of War-Curtailment
Order
Washington. April is.

Curtailment Of building trades in
dustries ranging from is to 50 per
| cent has been announced by the United
/ States fuel administration. The indus.
| tries affected are those engaged in the
manufacture of clay products and con-
servation in them is part Of the general
/ plan Of rearranging and dividing the
manufacturing program of the United
States so as to place It on war basis.
Construction work. especially In the
eastern section Of the country has not
/ needed the warning Of several Govern.
ment officials that building operations
must he curtailcd wherever possible. and
| this was the primary reason for bringing
the men engaged in It to Washington
| for a conference,
Through the facts placed before them
| by the war Industries board and the
| fuel administration, they were shown
It was learned. that 1t was essential that
they limit their output to absolute re-
quirements and not attempt to fll the de-
| mands Of those customers whose needs
were not for war work
Ten industries were affected by the
/ orders signed by Dr. Harry 4. Garfield
/ United States fuel administrator The
! percentages Of curtailments follows:
| Face brick, SO per cent restriction
| common brick. so; paving brick, so
! hollow tile, 25: drain tile and sewer
/ pipe. 25 terra Gotta. so stoneware tex-
| cept chemcaD. IS; roofing tile, so;
| floor and wall tile, so: sanitary ware,
I So
BASED on Three-Year Average
! CurtaIlment in each case is based or
the average output or the last three
years, The percentage of curtailmen
is not equal in all classes Of clay prod
I ucts. These figures have been reached
after careful investigation and repre-.
sent rates Of production which will be
for the best interests of the necessary
Government work and in general foi
. the interests of the manufacturers in
volved
The experience OF the last year has
brought these facts clearly to the front
First, that as far as possible new wal
work must be put into old factories &c
take the place of less essential produc
ton. This method of producing war sup
plies prevents building problems, hous
ing problems and transportation prob
lens which necessarily follow the setting
w " new pidINN lpl "hi ilDhuNAiOll
Second. that in addition to this transfer
ence it will be necessary for many in
dustries to make deliberate sacrifices o.
part Of their ordinary business in ordeI
that there may be transportation, mer
and materials enough for war produc
ton.
The war industries board and the fue
administration have been for severa
months obtaining information whicl
would enable them to reorganize lesse
essential industries, suyn as building ma
terials. which tax transportation facili
ties and fuel supplies to the largest ex
tent Most of these industries, besides
their general importance to the life o
the country. are essential to the war.
Each class has been considered from
the point of view of the plants them
selves as we'll as the Government needs
The Bureau of Standards and expert
associated with each industry hav
placed their services at the disposal o
the Government and have aided Il
preaching, conclusions.