New-York tribune., 1918-04-18
He Curtails Fuel Supply
From Fifteen to Fifty
Per Cent
War Needs Factories
Order Will Make Available
More Men, Materials and
transportation
IStofCorrespoudence

WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE fuel
administration to-day issued orders
curtailing fuel supplies to manufactur-
ers of clay products. This will make
effective, it is pointed out, the policy
of curtailment in the building trades
announced some time ago by the War
Industries Board.
Fuel for the manufacture Of brick,
under the new orders, is reduced so
per cent; roofing, floor and wall tile, so
per cent; sanitary ware. so per cent;
hollow tile, drain tile and sewer pipe,
% per cent, and stone ware, except for
chemical uses, Is per cent This cur
tailment in the so-called less essential
industries was explained to-day as fol-
lows by the fuel administration:
"Curtailment in each case is based on
the average output of the last three
years. 1t will be noted that the per-
centage Of curtailment is not equal in
all classes of clay products. These
figures have been reached after careful
Investigation, and represent rates Of
production which will be for the best
interests of the. manufacturers in
volved
Factories to Do War Work
"The experience of the last year has
brought two facts clearly to the front
First, that so far as possible the new
war work must be put into old factories
to take the place of less essential pro-
duction. This method Of producing
war supplies prevents building prob
lens, housing problems and trans
portation problems which necessarily
follow the setting up Of new plants for
war production. Second, that in addi-
ton to this transference it will be nee
essary for many industries to make de-
liberate sacrifices of part of their or
dinary business in order that there may
be TRANSPORTATION, men and materials
enough for war production.
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 experts
associated with each industry have
placed their services at the disposal or
the government and have aided In
reaching conclusions.
All Questions Considered
'"In general the minimum basis OF
running for the year has been estab-
lished in each class Of clay product.
This minimum has taken account OF the
more necessary requirements outside or
strictly war activities as we'll as the
necessities of the government. Beyond
this it is arranged that whenever the
government departments certify re-
quirements in any of the divisions ex-
ceeding the productive capacity of
given district on the minimum basis
such facts will be certified to the fuel
administration and permits for addi-
tional running will be issued.
"The aim has been to conserve the
larger interests of the trade involved.
Equal treatment for all plants is pro-
vided wherever possible. Allowance,
however, is made in the plan for recog-
nizing individual instances where an
abundance of fuel and absence of con-
restion make it desirable that larger
proportion than usual of the product be
produced in given district:
The granting of such additional out
put has been hedged about with safe
guards so that general conditions in
the different trades will not be seri-
ously affected. Fuel Administrator
Garfield also issued to-day an order
dealing with the production Of enam-
elled ware. The production in this case
is so per cent"