'yzs~~~~' ~~\ZW~\"' '-"'~~~~\zz~>" ', t~\~~\r, ARC ff I IE CI ll BAL "Ei&03\Di· WHAT PRIORITIES MEAN TO BUILDING A critical study of the several puzzling questions about priorities and ·rheir impact on building. It discloses: 1. That bu!lding prospects are not as dark as early, confused reports might indicate. 2. That private as well as public defense building projects are to get preferential ratings for securing materials. 3. That while non-defense building will be left to shift for itself, it is not banned. 4. Defense building projects of many types will swell construction volume. 5. Priority orders on metals for manufacture promise shifts and strains, challeng­ ing architects and manufacturers alike to find and use suitable substitutes and to find new ways to conserve essential materials in all types of building. Hy nocrn WADE SHERMAN, AIA, Managing Editor of ARCHITECTURAL RECORD \VHEI\. HOW AM> \\'llF:RE the metals l. Priorities will help building at Private "non-defense" building prioritieo; 11 ill afft>d building is a the same time they hinder it; is not banned-it is merely left to find its own materials snies of puzzles which cannot be dt>· building in designated defense finitely solved at this moment, or areas will be directly aided b) Contrary to the tone of somp re­ probabh am other moment. StatP­ the priorities system. cent newspapPr stories. \Vashington nwnts. rumors and guesses. currenth 2. :\ o formal restrictions as :rnch officials have not expressed am pres­ rt>aching flood proportions. are not to on non-defense building are ent intention of putting specific re­ lw taken at face value. But while planned at present - critical stril'tions on anv type of building in mam of the prohlems can onk be basic materials. not building anv locality. \"on-defPnse building rt'solved in the future. a critical an­ projer"ls. are the primaq sub­ is not bannt>d-it is mneh left to alvsis of the situation does clear up jects of priorities rulings. De­ shift for itself. lt is not irr;possible, some vital points. fense projects I destr<n ers or or unpatriotic. to procPed with pres­ The priorities situation on basil· houses I will rf'l'f'ive prpferential ent building plans whether or not materials for manufacture may he treatmt>nt in the allotment of thf' they are related to dcfensP. Mis­ expected to beconw serious. possihh materials. but other projects understandings on this score seem to soon, but the pro,.;pt'cts for building ha\·e not been specifil'alh re­ come from thinking in terms of the art' bv no means as dark as the casual stricted. priorit) svstern of \Vorld War I. rt>ader of nPwspapprs might havP :). Priority svstems remembered The present system is entirely differ­ het'n lt>d to suppose. "Business a:­ from World War l are obsolete ent I see l'Omments of Thomas S. usual" cannot he expel'lt>d to con­ today and should be eliminated. Holden. page :iH I. \Vhat will happen tinuP indPfiniteh. hut building of 4. New specif) ing and huying is that specifil' basic materials I and 11ia11v I\ pt>:- nrnq pla' a large part techniques \\ill ~ureh develop. later fahricatPd products I will be in thP 11ational dt>fensc pffort. and .). The demand for building of suhjel'l to priorities rulings. to as­ "building as unusual" should go for­ many types, l'oming from in­ surp adequate supplies for defense " ard in quite substantial volume. c-eased incomes iteneralh. chal­ industries and defense housinit. An\ This first major report I ARCHI­ lenges the ingenuity of archi­ remaining stock:- may he used for TECTLRl\L RECOHIJ led off with a tects in the use of new or sub­ any l\pe of building proje"t. prdiminan <;tatPmPnt I AR 2/41. p. stitutP materials to keep build­ Projects Jpft to shift for them­ Hi I has for its purposP a straight­ ing active. sekPs-or find practical substitute fon1·ard statcmPnt of facts now avail­ 6. Priorities affect onlv a few basil' materials-will be those which can­ able. and a presentation of the prob­ building materials, prineipallv not secure the benefits of prefPrPntial ahilitiPs as thPv currenth line up. metals: there are no general rulings in their favor. An expt>nsin· The majur . poi11ts. <~t this earh shortages of most materials or private residenl'e. even in a dPfense stage of prioritiPs ruling. arP: products, or of labor. area. is an olH"ious example, or any 37 WHAT PRIORITIES MEAN TO BUILDING (continued) type of structure c011s1dered non­ Housing, jointly announced "a broad for. and reasonable preference in oc­ essential to defense. Quite aside program providing priority aid for cupann- will be given to, workers from material shortages, luxun type defense housing projects," the pur­ engaged in the designated defense building would be expected to be pose of which is to ''assure a steadv industries; that the intended sales somewhat curtailed by the developing flow of necessary building materiais price is $6,000 or less or the intended tax situation. to the projects deemed essential to shelter rental is $50 per month or ~on-defense areas ma\ Pxpect to the national defense program." less. and that the housing is, in gPn­ suffer somewhat, perhaps seriously. Priority assistance may be given eral. necessary in connection \\ ith Even here the prospect is far from either to a publicly financed defense defense housing needs." Excq>lions hopeless, for it is a logical assump­ housing project or to private defense may he made for other residential tion that defense areas will be in­ projects within a designated defense construction if the designated au­ creased both in number and extent. area. Actually private building will thorities rnnsider it essential lo de­ as new defense orders go out and as recei\-e the most benefit, since private fense needs. The priorities pro­ new pressure is put on industry to enterprise is expected to supp! y the cedure will definitely apply to farm out sub-contracts. In the past bulk of defense housing. rehabilitation of existing structun·s. few weeks, 30 new defense areas have l'nder the procedure announced. a To further clarify the procedure. been added to an already long list. preference rating will be given either the Housing Coordinator is to supply Also, Leon Henderson's Office of to a publicly financed defense hous­ OPM with a list of public housing Price Administration and Civilian ing project. or to an area. These projects for which priorities aid is Supply I OP ACS I is intended to ease project or area ratings are to be ex­ recommended, a list of areas in which the strains of the defense program tended to applicants by local repre­ a present or impending housing on the civilian economy, and it might sentatives yet to be designated by the shortage threatens defense activitv, later find means to sustain activity Coordinator. It is not yet clear in and a formal definition of defense in an industry as generally important which government agency the repre­ housing. Being prepared also is a as building. sentatives will function. Possibly it Defense Housing Critical List of will be FHA. Meanwhile contact on building materials for which prefer­ Priorities assistance to be priorities questions should be with ence ratings seem necessary. A de­ extended to defense building the district manager of OPM, at the finite effort is being made to exclude projects, private and public Federal Reserve Bank in each Fed­ many critical metals, for which sub­ eral Reserve District. stitute materials are being sought. In an important recent statement As to privately financed defense Even though an item necessary for a E. R. Stettinius, Jr., Director of housing, to be handled under "area defense housing development is not Priorities for OPM, and Charles F. ratings," the announcement specifies on the critical list, priorities aid ma\­ Palmer, Coordinator of Defense that "the housing will be suitable be sernred to speed delivPrie~. THE PRIORITY SITUATION AS I SEE IT The following are excerpts from a current statement by THOMAS S. HOLDEN, President of F. W. Dodge Corporation and Editorial Director of ARCHITECTURAL RECORD, based on several personal interviews and investigations in Washington and elsewhere t:CH CONFUSION and misunderstanding exist with arose from recollection of the order (Circular 21) issued on M regard to priority rulings of the Office of Production September 3, 1918, requiring that permits be secured from Management and with respect to their impact on private the World War Priorities Board for all construction projects, building. To clear up this confusion, it is essential to except those under Government contracts cleared by the eliminate any preconceived ideas about priorities derived board, repairs not exceeding $2,500, construction directly con­ from World War experience. A recent official OP:\l state­ nected with mines producing coal or metals, and highway ment said: improvements approved by the United States Highways "Forrret all you have heard or know about the World \Var Council. Among the principal reasons for that drastic regula­ Priorit; System. To understand where we are in the present tion of 1918 were the need for conserving lumber and trans­ development of priorities and, in fact. to understand the portation, neither of which has reached a critical stage at system at all, this might well be your first r~le. :\lu~h of this time. Recent personal conferences with a number of the confusion about priorities come,;; from trymg to tie up Washington officials have not disclosed any present intention, some phase of the present system with the priority plan as on the part of any Government executive or agency respon­ remembered from \Vorld \Var days." sible for defense activities, of forbidding any particular class Recent announcement of a system of prorities favoring of construction project.