Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-05
WAR CONTRACTS
FOR PLANTS HERE
City Is Not to Be Ignored,
Official Statement
Explains
ALL 1T CAN HANDLE
Any Establishment Properly
Equipped Will Get Work in
.Speed-Up Plan
ALL 1T CAN HANDLE

II there are any plants in. Philadel-
phia or vicinity capable of producing es-
sential material, and are properly pre-
pared as to housing, labor. fuel. trans
portation and plant facilities, the War
Department will give them all the work
they can handle.
Official announcement today by the War
Department of speed-up plan. expected
to result in twice the quantity of war
material being turned cut between now
and June 80 next. as has been produced
since the United States entered the war,
incorporated this statement. The an
nouncement adds there has been "a
great deal of msconception" as to the
new ruling of the department in the
matter of regulation of the awarding of
war contracts.
Philadelphia business men, in the be-
lief that the city was to be ignored in
the awarding of future war contracts,
had planned a concerted protest to
Washington, but in view of this latest
turn it Is believed the protest will not
be made
Not to CurtaiI Production
"In its announcement that future Gov
ernment contracts are to be carefully
regulated in Philadelphia, Camden
Chester, Eddystone and other points be.
cause of the critical housing conditions
that exist" says the statement. ut is
tata 80
| Department to curtail essential prcduc
ton in any way. Quite the contrary.
"It is worse than useless to aware
contracts in localities where there ar,
insufficient facilities to take care of tn,
| labor already there.
| "Eddystone is the best case in point
In that city housing conditions are al
a point where 1t is no longer possibl,
to bring in additional labor. One need
but to consider the huge plants alread,
| there-the shipyards, Baldwin Eddy
stone Rifle. Eddystone Munitions. West
| inghouse Machine and numerous Others
to realize that to build new houses at
cost of $4,000 each. when proper facili
| ties already exist elsewhere, would be
woeful waste Of time, labor and money
THE War Department defintel.
plans to produce twice as much ma
| terial from now until June 81 next a
1t has produced since the beginning o
the war.
4 Contracts must. therefore, be award
| ed in those localities where the facili
ties for production are now in exist
ence Any other policy is not to b
considered. Therefore. far from cur
failing production in any particular, tn
opposite is planned.
"Production is to be speeded to tn
limit.
Opportunities II Prepared
ANY plant which. in point Of vie
of all conditions, such as labor, fue
transportation, housing. plant facilitie
ETC., is capable of producing essenti;
material, and can establish these fact
will be given every opportunity to d
it's share of the war program"
Ernest r. Trigg. president of tn
Philadelphia Chamber of Commerc,
had planned to get in touch with OF
ficials in Washington today. Accurat
Indignation relative to the labor an
pwer situations was to be compiled an
forwarded the War Department
Men prominent in industrial circle
were relieved today upon learning tha
the War Department does not plan (
withhold contracts from this distric
but to only curtail them where so muc
work is already being done that
award any more contracts would be {
impede the speed-up program, rathe
than to aid 1t.