Evening star., 1942-04-09
Ban on BUILDING
To Have Little
Effect in DC.
Most Construction
In Area Considered
VituI to War

non-defenSe areas, builders and
Government housing officials believe
1t will have little effect on construc-
ton in critical" areas such as
Washington.
The w. p B. order, which becomes
effective today, prohibited any resi-
dental construction other than
maintenance and repair work if the
cost was more than $500 or more,
forbade any new agricultural con-
struction of $1,000 or more. and
specified that no other types of con-
struction - commercial, industrial,
recreational, institutional, highway
or utilities, whether publicly or pri-
vately financed-could be started if
the cost was more than $4,000.
The only exceptions were in cases
where specific Government permis-
sion might be granted.
May Aid Defense Housing.
Spokesmen for builders here point
ed out that there is only a relatively
small amount of construction now
under way in Washington which
cannot be linked to the war effort
and they predicted that the order
would benefit the defense housing
programs in critical areas by releas-
ing labor and material now being
used on non-essential construction.
Projects already under construc-
ton will be permitted to continue
under terms of the order, but W. P
B. emphasized that these projects
will be examined individually and
may be stopped IF the scarce ma
terials to be used in them can be
put to more effective use in the war
program.
Persons who have been planning
to build homes, but have not ac-
tualy started construction, simply
are out of luck for the time being
even though they may have the ma
terials they need to build-unless
they can show that the projects are
of an essential nature.
No change was made in the order
In existing regulations permitting
construction of residences, costing
up to $4,000, in defense housing
critical areas specifically designated
by the Government.
On Previous Lists.
The District has been on all pre-
vious lists of critical defense housing
areas, and recently the War Pro-
duction Board improved the priority
rating for home construction by
private builders here.
Maurice Massey, administration
officer of the Federal Housing Ad-
ministration, said the w. P. B. order
was needed to make effective the
present priorities system, and de-
clared it meant virtually the end of
all building not covered by priority
orders.
James c. Wilkes, counsel for the
Home Builders Association of Met
ropolitan Washington, said the Or
der would have the effect of making
available many construction workers
now employed on projects in nom
defense areas, thus relieving what
might have developed into critical
shortage of labor in defense areas"
Reservoir of Labor.
Mr.. Wilkes also believes that,
with new supplies of workers avail
able for employment in critical
areas, private builders here may not
be forced, in order to secure labor.
to pay the higher scale recently set
by the Labor Department for pub
licly-financed defense housing.
Without the anticipated new reser-
voir of labor to draw on, private
builders would either have to pay
practically that minimum wage or
be forced out of business, Mr.. Wilkes
said.
The w. P. B. order was charac-
terized by j. S. Cowan, district sales
manager for the National Electric
Products Corp, as freezing regu-
lation" to halt non-essential con-
struction until we can find out
where we're going"
Virtually Suspends Construction.
w. P. B. Chairman Donald M.
Nelson said the order would vir-
tually suspend the civilian con-
struction industry" for the duration.
The Labor Department estimated
overall 1941 construction at $10,473,-
100000, of which $5,348,0 900 900 was
of a non-defense character. The
department estimated 1912 construc-
tion at $40, ,750 100000, with $780,
100000 of this amount going for non-
defense work. w. P. B. gave no
indication of how much of the 1912
non-defense work would be elm
mated.
The $500 limit on residential con-
struction applies to a full year; that
Is, an owner may not spend $500
on dwelling and later make an
other $500 outlay on the same build
ing. Similar restrictions apply to
farm and other construction max
imums.
Exempt from the order are prof.
ects built for the armed forces and
a group of other named Government
agencies; construction to replace
residences destroyed since January
l, by fire, flood, tornado, earthquake
or the public enemy" and petro-
leum producing and distributing ia
cilities which are provided for in
earlier w. P. B. actions.
The result of the order, w. P. B.
said, will be to allocate scarce cop
per, steel, iron and other materials
away from unnecessary construc-
tion and into ships, planes, tanks,
guns. defense housing and other
essential production"
Applications to start new con-
struction in non defense areas must
be filed with local Offices of the Fed.
eral Housing Administration or
forms obtainable from F. H. A. loca
Offices or from w. P. A. district Of
fees.
F. H. A. Officer to Decide.
The F. H. A. local officer will de-
eide whether a project is eligible
Tor recommendation to w. P. B.
II so, the application will 60 for
ward to w. P. BIS production divi-
sion, headed by William H. Har-
r1son, for final consideration.
The public is urged to file only