Evening star., 1942-09-03
Civilian Construction
OF All Types Taken
Under WPB Control
Another Order Liquidotes
Contract Distribution
Bronch of Agency

All civilian construction comes
under control of the War Produc-
ton Board Monday as the result of
an order which sharply limits the
types of construction to be per-
mitted without specific authorize
ton
This order was issued late yeSter-
day Concurrently with another
which liquidated the Contract Dis
tribution Branch of WPB and left
the Smaller War Plants Corp as
the sole agency for assisting little
shops and factories to find a place
in the war program. This shift, to be
effective September Is, throws ITO
employees out of work.
In promulgating the new construc-
ton control, the board cautioned
builders against making commit
ments for materials until permission
to build actually has been granted.
1t was emphasized that the mere
fact that builder has all necessary
materials on hand and needs no
priorities will not in itself govern
whether he should be permitted to
use mem III COlSu uCIlOn.
Glasses of Construction.
Construction classes, with their
present and future cost limits under
the new program. are:
Residential, $500 and 5000; mul-
tiple residential (Which is in
creased, $500 and 81, 900; agricul-
tural, $1,000, unchanged; certain
types of commercial, $1,000 and
5000; other types of commercial, in
Guiding highway, subsurface and
utilities construction, $4,000 and
81 900.
Included among the types of COM
mercial construction reduced from
S., 900 to 5000 are buildings for
lodges, associations, ffaternities or
sorority houses, auditoriums or as
sembly houses.
Other Categories.
Also included are buildings de-
signed for occupancy by not more
than five establishments selling
goods, food for drink, or providing
services In the latter group are
small stores, soda fountains, bars
and tailor, barber and Cobbler shops.
The WPB said large quantities of
materials had been going into their
construction undCr the original
order allowing SIS 900 to be spent
during any 12-montn period. In in
stance where costs are under the
, established limits, the owner, before
he may begin construction, must be
able to acquire enough material to
complete the projecI without priority
assistance. The project must not
require the use of any material to
supply gas, electricity, water, steam,
telephone or sewage disposal service.
Few Duties Left.
The first big-scale move toward
stripping WPB of producing
and overlapping bureaus by abol-
ishlng the contract distribution
branch was taken, officials said, be-
cause creation of the smaller War
Plants Corp, under Lou E. Holland
of Kansas City,. Mo-, six weeks ago
left the branch with little Or moth
ing to do.
The branch's field staff of about
200 employees scattered over the
country will not be affected, WPB
spokesman said, since they are be-
ing absorbed rapidly into the WPB
regional organization.
Armed with q sl50,000,000 appro-
priation from Congress, the Smaller
War Plants Corp. is empowered to
accept prime contracts from the
Army or Navy and let subcontracts
to small plants and shops, 1t also
is authorized to give engineering
and financial assistance to manu-
1 facturers' pools help rehabilitate old
machinery and assist plants to get
new machinery.