October 10, 191S 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



office of the Director of Purchases. The Motors and Vehicle Divis- 

 ion, of which Colonel Fred Glover is in charge, has responsibility 

 for and authority over the procurement of all motor propelled 

 vehicles, also all animal-drawn and hand-drawn vehicles. 



The motors branch of the new division will be in charge of 

 Colonel Edwin 8. George and the vehicles branch in charge of 

 Colonel R. W. Lea. The per.sonnel, records and equipment of the 

 vehicles and administrative branches of the vohicles and harness 

 division of the Quartermaster Corps liav.' hren tranHterred to the 

 motor and vehicles division. 



Government Standardized Contracts 

 Standardization has been completed of all contract clauses which 

 will be incorporated in all future contracts made by every purchas- 

 ing agency of the war department. There are numerous provisions 

 of importance. 



One clause provides for the speeding of settlement of disputes 

 between the government and contractors and makes unnecessary 

 the filing of law suits in the Court of Claims, by providing a clause 

 for the immediate adjustment of all such differences. In the event 

 that disputes or claims cannot be settled by mutual agreement, the 

 question is placed before the secretary of war or his autliorizea 

 representative. 



The government also retains the right to terminate any contract 

 in the public interest, provision being made for payment for exist- 

 ing stocks and raw materials, and for the disposal of special 

 facilities providing for the execution of the contract. 



On the question of labor one clause provides that in cases speci- 

 fied by law, wages of workers on the contract should be computed 

 on a basic day' rate of eight hours and time-and-a-half for overtime. 

 Contractors may appeal to the secretary of war for adjustment of 

 labor difficulties and are obligated to comply virith such adjustment 

 and for any wage increase in such readjustment, the contract or 

 will be reimbursed. 



Contractors are obliged to comply with the existing state laws 

 and also are obligated not to employ in war department contracts 

 any minors under the age of fourteen years, or to permit any minor 

 between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years to work more than 

 eight hours in one day or more than six days in one week. 



Proper provision is made for checking cost on cost-plus contracts 

 although the department will follow its policy of fixed price con- 

 tracts wherever they can be used to the advantage of the govern- 

 ment. Provision is also made for the protection of plants by con- 

 tractors and also for adequate protection against enemy activity in 

 plants. 



Building Activities in the War Lines 

 The public building committee of the House is at work at Wash- 

 ington on a bill authorizing government housing projects to cost 

 $194,000,000. 



Contracts have been let for construction- through the Department 

 of Labor, Bureau of Industrial Housing as follows: 



Construction of fourteen apartment buildings at Washington, D. 

 C, contract awarded to Fred F. French Company, 299 Madison 

 avenue. New York City; seventy-six houses to be built in New 

 Brunswick, N. J., contract awarded to John Lowry, 8 West 40th 

 street. New York; contract for seventy houses to be erected at 

 Aberdeen, Md., awarded to Sutton & Corson, Ocean City, N. J.; 

 contract for 181 houses to be built at Alliance, O., awarded to 

 Cullen & Vaughn Company, Columbus, O. 



In addition, authorization has been given to proceed with the 

 following construction: 



Phosphorous plant at Falrniount, W. Va., to cost 5500,000 ; tetryl plant 

 at Senter, Mich., to cost $2.50.000 ; construction of proving pround, 

 EUzabethport, N. J., to cost .$110,000; an addition to the Rock Island 

 Arsenal to cost $833,500 ; additional construction at Camp Upton, N. Y., 

 to cost $128,650; additions to the Franktord, Pa., arsenal to cost $1,000,- 

 000 ; construction of liiberty theaters at Camp Wheeler, Ga., Camp Wuds- 

 worth, S. C, and Camp Il.incock, Ga., each to cost $38,700 ; construction 

 for coast artillery training at Ft. Monroe. Va.. to cost $3,210,640: con- 

 struction of 2,500-bed li..s|.it.Tl :it (":iiiii. Ki. •■ , Stithtnn. Ky.. tc. cost 



$2,491,600 ; construction ..f 1 -.1 l^.-in ■ • W!,iii|.|c Ii.urik .Vrlz.. 



to cost $1,581,525; convcr^inii .i im ,, m i.,: .::,,, 'it r,,,,,, Mill., .\. Y., 



Into cantonments to accoiiiMnHhnc .".hiiimi hi. n imtlinibcl. Tlir work 



will be expedited and will cost $li»,!>'.)O.000. Tn.. thousand-bed hospital to 



be erected at Mtneohi, L. I., In connection with Camp Mills to coat 

 $2,408,000. 



Reason for Building Embargo 



Chairman Baruch of the War Industries Hoard in his report to 

 the Senate on the board's authority to curtail building operations, 

 said iu part: 



In carrying out the duties, with which we were thus charged by the 

 President, the War Industries Board and Its chairman found the foIlowlnK 

 situation to exist with respect to building and construction facilities and 

 supplies : 



a. Iron and steel are a necessary part of every completed building. 

 They arc necessary for plumbing, beating, ventilating, piping, hardware, 

 and mechanical equipment. The direct and Indirect war needs of this 

 country and of our allies for the last six months of the current year already 

 exceed 21,000,000 tons and the country's total output for the llrst sU 

 months was less than 17,000,000 tons. The unavoidable result Is that Irmi 

 and steel cannot be used for nonwar or less essentbil purposes. 



b. The United States Fuel Administration, Undlng that the production 

 of building materials consumed upward of 30,000.000 tons of fuel per 

 annum, and that there was a shortage iu the fuel necessary tor our war 

 program, curtailed very materially the fuel allowed for building materials. 

 The continued production of building materials for nonwur and less essen- 

 tial projects would now necessarily be at the expense of productions which 

 our war program requires. 



c. The Railroad Administration finds that 25 per cent of (he toliil 

 tonnage moved by the railroads Is building material. It is absolutely 

 essential that the portion of this tonnage which represents materials uoi 

 needed for war or essential purposes should be displaced by tonnage 

 which is. 



d. The United .States Employment Service finds that there is an acut* 

 shortage iu the labor needed for the war program. It Is absolutely essen- 

 tial that lalmr which now may be idle, or which may be engaged on non- 

 war or Ic^'^ .^^-nil-il w.rk. should be employed, upon work which will 

 contribute !■ a ml «iin n ;; 1 he war. 



It is th. n I 1)1 iiiit. the building and construction field furnishes 



an installer ij ,. i; .lively for the exercise by the War Industries 

 Hoard of th lui.v v, iili wliich the President charged it, of conserving the 

 resources and facllilies of the country for war purposes, of determining 

 necessary priorities In production and in delivery, of obtaining access lo 

 materials In any way preempted, and of anticipating prospective war 

 needs. 



Forest Service to Identify Woods Known as Mahogany 



The United States Forest Service has undertaken to identify more 

 than fifty woods which are known as mahogany. This work has 

 been undertaken by special request. The large number of woods 

 passing as mahogany iu this market cause confusion, and the pur- 

 pose is to have a scientific and authoritative list made out as a 

 guide for buyers, sellers and users. It is expected that this list 

 will be of much assistance in carrying on the airplane work. 



The war trade board has announced a new ruling to cover the 

 imports of dyewoods, intended to restrict the imports except under 

 certain conditions. 



Late Developments Regarding the Embargo 



The lumber embargo is still causing; hardship, principally because 

 of the delay in getting permits for lumber movements, even for essen- 

 tial stuff. It continues to be evident that the government has no in- 

 tention of using the embargo as a club to force lumber wholly into 

 essential lines, as it is evident that the industry is working toward 

 strict essentiality just as rapidly as the opportunities are presented. 

 At the same time the necessity for the permits makes it really hard to 

 get lumber shipments through efficiently and preference is naturally 

 being given to strictly essential products. The evidence upon wliich 

 the authorities will go on issuing permits or withholding them, will 

 differ in different cases, the tests being in each instance whether the 

 need at destination and conditions there and en route are such as to 

 warrant the particular movement at the particular time in its relation 

 to other demands for transportation service. Thus, to aid in getting 

 permits full information should be given in all cases. As a rule where 

 it is necessary for rough lumber to be stopped off in transport for mill- 

 ing-in-transit, one permit will cover the entire shipment. As noted 

 in the last issue, where the point of origin and destination are both 

 on the same line, including switching district at both ends, permits 

 may be secured from the local agent. An effort has been made since 

 to secure a ruling that short lines tapping main lines will come under 

 this ruling, but thus far these efforts have not succeeded. 



It is the intention of the government to open additional permit 

 offices as quickly as possible in different important shipping points. 

 Offices are now operating in Chicago and Cincinnati and other sources 

 of permits are the freight traffic departments at New York, Philadel- 

 phia, Washington, Baltimore and the Car Service Section at Washing- 

 ton, which is the point of appeal for all those not taken care of 

 otherwise. 



