18 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



November 10, 1918 



It is stated that in spite of the railroad administration having 

 contracted for forty steel barges and six tow boats for use on 

 southern rivers at a cost of over $6,000,000 wooden barges may be 

 built for river traffic. 



An estimate of $120,000,000 for further ship construction is the 

 latest figure in appropriations to be submitted to Congress when it 

 reassembles. 



The hopes of those interested in the non-sinkable ships supposed 

 to be made non-sinkable by wooden buoyancy boxes, were shattered 

 by the destruction of the first of these boats by a torpedo. 



Indicating the quantity of lumber that has gone into ship con- 

 struction the shipping board states that enough yellow pine lumber 

 has been used in eastern coast yards alone for wooden shipbuilding 

 to make a bridge floor twenty-five feet wide across the Atlantic 

 to France. Pacific Coast lumbermen state that they have supplied 

 a like quantity. This lumber, 400,000,000 feet of yellow pine and a 

 like quantity of western wood includes only the wood actually 

 used in ocean-going ship constructions. It does not include the 

 vast quantities used for docks and barges or lumber used for plant 

 extension and housing. 



In a statement giving these interesting facts, the shipping board 

 paints an absorbing picture of the magnitude of the industry which 

 is getting out such vast quantities of necessary products. The 

 entire work of supplying this lumber is under the direction of W. 

 J. Haynen, general lumber supervisor of the Emergency Fleet Cor- 

 poration. He has at his call the timber resources from Alaska to 

 California and east to the Atlantic Coast line from Nova Scotia 

 to Florida. The principal areas are the western countries produc- 

 ing Douglas fir, spruce, Oregon pine and similar trees typical for 

 their size and clearness; the yellow pine areas of Texas, Louisiana, 

 Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida; the northern white pine 

 territory of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the ship oak 

 producing regions of West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. 



The products of these areas go to 130 shipyards, seventy-eight 

 building wooden cargo ships, twenty-eight constructing barges, 

 twenty turning out tugs and four building composite ships con- 

 sisting of steel framing with wooden planking. These yards are 

 distributed along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts from Maine 

 to Washington. 



Mr. Haynen is enthusiastic in his praise of the employes of the 

 lumber industry from the highest to the lowest man in the ranks, 

 as their efforts made possible the fulfillmentof a program resulting 

 in the present available tonnage. 



Extensive Building Program 



The following construction projects are to be, or have been, 

 recently launched by the government: 



Additional buildings at Camp Kearney, Cal., to accommodate 9,000 men, 

 costing $1,924,923. 



Additional construction at Watervliet Arsenal to cost $115,000. 



Additional barraclss at Camp Travis, Texas, to cost $77,000. 



Cold storage plant at Camp MacArthur, Waco, to cost $50,000. 



Engineer's training camp to be located at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., 

 to accommodate 16,000 men and cost $5,000,000. Contract awarded to 

 W. M. Sutherland Building & Construction Company, St. Louis, Mo. Con- 

 struction similar to ordinary cantonment construction. 



Addition to storage facilities plant of the National Cash Register Com- 

 pany at Dayton, O., to add 81,000 square feet of floor space. 



Additional dock extension to warehouse No. 3 at the Baltimore depot 

 warehouse to cost $228,680. 



Alteration at the Carlisle Indian School at Carlisle, Pa., for hospital 

 purposes to cost $180,000. 



The construction of an aero camp at Cammack Field, Long Island, to 

 cost $99,605, together with similar plant at Babylon Field, Long Island. 



Contract let for large temporary construction totaling 504 rooms at 

 Eddystone, Pa., Edward Fay & Sons, Philadelphia, constructors. 



Contracts awarded to United States Engineering Construction Company, 

 Cleveland, O., for two dormitories at Wycliffe, Cleveland. 



Contract awarded to Sharon Building Company, Sharon, Pa., for 170 

 buildings. 



In order to properly fit new buildings so as to make them suitable for 

 hospital purposes, alterations must be undertaken at once totaling In 

 cost $995,000. 



Regarding Latest Lumber Priority Order 



Judge E. B. Parker, priorities commissioner of the War Industries 

 Board, is issuing a circular containing regulations under which 



lumber manufacturers may obtain priority assistance for securing 

 necessary labor, transportation, supplies, equipment and materials. 

 A statement given out officially in advance of the circular ia in 

 part as follows: 



For the purpose of obtaining priority assistance for the securing of 

 necessary supplies, equipment and materials, all lumber manufacturers 

 complying with the conditions laid down in the circular will be entitled 

 to an automatic Class C priority rating, which, however, the circular takes 

 care to explain, does not apply to materials tor new construction. 

 Increased facilities, extensions or betterments. 



The program of conditions as laid down requires first of all that each 

 manufacturer shall undertake the utmost possible conservation of mate- 

 rials, fuel and labor ; that, as far as practicable, with due regard to the 

 demands for lumber for direct war uses, he shall limit bis production to 

 the current demand ; that he shall refrain from hoarding fuel, supplies, 

 equipment and materials ; and will limit export production to Items covered 

 by export licenses issued by the War Trade Board. 



Manufacturers are prohibited from making any sales or deliveries except 

 for essential uses, as may from time to time be defined by the priorities 

 division. Until further notice such essential uses are confined to the 

 following : For supplying the requirements of the United States govern- 

 ment and its Allies ; for supplying the needs of the railroads operated by 

 the United States Eailroad Administration ; and for supplying to others 

 lumber of primary importance in war work or in essential civilian require- 

 ments. With regard to the latter, the manufacturer, in ail doubtful cases, 

 is urged to consult the priorities division. 



Each manufacturer is required to file with the priorities division of the 

 War Industries Board a pledge in writing after a set form, included in the 

 circular agreeing to the above and setting forth that he will not sell to 

 any customer for resale without exacting from the latter a pledge of 

 similar import. Furthermore the manufacturer agrees by this pledge to 

 render to the priorities division such reports of his activities as the 

 division may from time to time require. The form of pledge he must 

 exact from all customers desiring to resell his products is also set forth. 



Every manufacturer is required to make out and mail to II. G. PhllllpB, 

 secretary. Priorities Board, Washington, T>. C, a formal application, copies 

 of which were sent out with the circular. Manufacturers falling to, receive 

 such forms are urged to obtain them from the above address. 



Any manufacturer failing within thirty days after date (October 25) 

 to file the pledge above described, or to make application as provided, will 

 thereby relinquish his right to the benefit of preferential treatment with 

 respect to labor, or to assistance in obtaining fuel or to the automatic 

 class rating for equipment, supplies and materials. Where, on the other 

 hand, the manufacturer is entitled to the automatic class rating, no 

 priority certificate or application to the priorities committee will be neces- 

 sary, but on each order for any such equipment, supplies or material, 

 there must be attached an affidavit to the effect that he has filed the neces- 

 sary pledge, and that the equipment, supplies or material covered by the 

 order are necessary and will only be used In the operation of his plant. 



Included also In the circular are rules governing priorities In production 

 and delivery of lumber, which, to overcome confusion occasioned by mis- 

 understanding of previous orders, are reshaped and Issued to supersede all 

 previous rules and rulings. They set forth that, unless otherwise spe- 

 cifically given a higher rating, equal priorities (Class A-5) shall be given 

 all orders, placed after clearance through the lumber section of the War 

 Industries Board ; (a) by or for the war or navy departments ; (b) by or 

 for any contractor or agent for either of the departments; (c) by or for 

 the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation; (d) con- 

 tractors of said corporation ; (e) the United States Railroad Administra- 

 tion or any railroads under its Jurisdiction; or (f) the Bureau of Indus- 

 trial Housing and Transportation of the Department of Labor, or the 

 United States Housing Corporation. Such priority rating l.s taken on such 

 orders automatically without need for indorsement or affidavit by the 

 officer or party placing the same. Where It can be shown that the pnbllc 

 Interest demands a higher priority classification on any particular order 

 It may be obtained upon application by the department or governmental 

 agency concerned to the priorities committee, setting forth the reasons 

 therefor. In such cases a priority certificate, or special ruling, covering 

 such order will be Issued. Where the order must be distributed among 

 several mills only the one application and the one priority certificate or 

 special ruling will be necessary, though appropriate notices will be sent 

 to the mills affected. 



A circular issued by the War Department refers to wrong methods 

 employed in some eastern points in getting lumber shipments 

 through. The marked shortage in local supply of lumber in the 

 early part of 1918 in New Jersey and adjoining states was caused 

 by government requirements. The result was a marked advance in 

 price. According to the statement certain eastern operators using 

 this as a basis, figured that if lumber could be brought into the 

 northern section, north of Norfolk, it could be offered to the gov- 

 ernment purchasing offices as lumber in transit north of Norfolk, 

 and, if accepted, the subsequent movement would be at govern- 

 mental direction and the consignees would claim the advanced 



