November 9, 1918





RECORD  AND   GUIDE





541





Gets New Ruling on  Building  Construction

Chairman McDonald of Mayor's Committee  on  National  Defense

Defines Latest Restrictions





GEORGE McDonald, chairman of the 'special
committee on construction and buildings of the
Mayor's Committee on National Defence, has
announced that hereafter all applications for licenses
to build, under the War Industries Board ruling on non-
essential work must file affidavits on new forms which
are available at the committee's headquarters, in the
Hall of Records.

Chairman McDonald also announced the receipt of
four permits from the War Industries Board, the first
granted for non-essential construction among those
sent by the committee to Washington with recom-
mendations for approval. The estate of Robert Hoe
Company was given license to repair the fire-damaged
building at 13-15 West 28th street; the Sage Foundation
Company, to complete residences and a hotel at Forest
Hills ; James A. Hearn & Co., to build two elevators to
eliminate danger of accidents from overcrowded facili-
ties to patrons of their store, and the Catholic Church
of St. Matthias, to finish an 80 per cent. completed





church in Ridgewood, Queens.

The committee received a new ruling from the War
Industries Board to the effect that construction of all
hospitals, barracks, etc, planned by the American Red
Cross, Y. M. C. A., Knights of Columbus, and other
organizations recognized by the Government as en-
gaged in war work, niust be referred to the Facilities
Division of the War Industries Board.              -----------.

The hearing of the committee yesterday, directed by
George H. Benjamin, as chairman, vvith Judge Warren
W. Foster, as assistant, included applications from Clara
Sulzer, wife of former Governor Sulzer, who desires to
renew plumbing in an old building at 116 Washington
Place; Darwin P. Kingsley, who wishes to provide heat
for certain sections of the dwelling 52 East 68th street,
and from Frederick H. Ecker, representing the Metro-
politan Life Tnsurance Company, which desires to alter
a section of the sixth floor of its building at a cost of
$37,500, to provide additional facilities for the Metro-
politan  Bank.





No Cancellation of War Contracts Yet Made





WASHINGTON, November 8.—On the authority
of the highest officials of the War Industries
Board,  the   statement  was  today  authorized
that there have been no cancellations of war contracts
by any purchasing agency of the Government due either
to the imminence of an armistice oiîpeace.

Certain cancellations of contracts have been made
as a result of the balancing of the contracts in accord-
ance with military requirements, as has been the uni-
form practice heretofore. On the other hand, the War
Industries Board and the purchasing divisions, of the
Government have been in consultation for some days
on a plan to guard against industrial dislocation during
the transiíion period between war and peace. An of-
ficial statement of the progress made on this subject
will be forthcoming in a day or two at the latest. Such
contracts as are now being cancelled in the balancing of
orders are subject to the usual form of adjustment be-
tween the Government and the contractor in which the





latter is guaranteed full protection. The policy now
being defined to cover the transition period, it is of-
ficially stated, will provide with equal care for the
safety of business which has so patriotically responded
to the needsof the Government in the emergency of
war.

Speaking for the purchase division of the War De-
partment, one of the largest buying agencies of the
Government, Gerard Swo])e, assistant chief of the div-
ision, to-day confirmed the statement of the War In-
dustries Board that there has been no cancellation of
war contracts outside of the usual routine, and that the
War Department, like all others, awaits the decision
of the 'War Industries Board, with which it is in con-
sultation on a comprehensive and fixed policy, which
all alike will follow. Rumors of all kinds relative to
the Government's policy are in circulation and are
coming into Washington for confirmation or denial.
This statement of the officials is the first authoritative
ansvver yet made.





Mayor and Fuel Administration at Odds





FEDERAL FUEL ADMINISTRATOR GARFIELD
sent Mayor Hylan a telegram Wednesday in which
he requested that the police activity in the coal
matter be discontinued and that the Mayor prevent
"further interference" with the orderly distribution of
coal. In an accompanying statement Dr. Garfield said
that no request for a survey had been made by the Fed-
eral authorities, and that when the subject was dis-
cussed by Mayor Hylan and State Fuel Administrator
Delos W. Cooke a few days ago the plan had been
abandoned.

In his telegram to the Mayor Dr. Garfield said: "I
must insist that Greater New York authority be not
permitted to interfere with the action of the United
States Fuel Adminisration."

The Police Department went ahead in its wprk of
making the coal survey regardless of Federal Fuel Ad-
ministrator Garfield's demand that such a survey be not
made.

Anthracite output during the week ended Oct. 26 is esti-
mated at 1,714,000 net tons, vvhich is exactly the same ton-
nage produced during the week ended Oct. 19, but 339,000
net tons below the outptit of the correspoiĸling week of
1917. The increase in wages vvhich went into eff'ect in the
anthracite mines on Nov. 1 will undoubtedly bring back
many of the mine workers who left for other industries
because of higher wages. With added nian power and no
epidemic to contend against, an improvcnient in output
can be e.xpected shortly.

While thcre exists a scarcity of the domcstic sizcs of an-
thracite, there is an abundance of the small coals available.





In some instances shippers are reducing their prices in or-
der to dispose of their stocks of rice and smaller coals.
Household consumers who have not as yet received their
quota of hard would do well to look into the possibility of
utilizing these small sizes, as it has been demonstrated that
they can be successfully burned in household furnaces.





New York, Nov. 5, 1918.
líditor Record and Guide:

On August 1 there was a fire opposite the premises,
129-131 Crosby Street, New York City, which are
owned by me, and the debris from the building has
])iled up in the strect, two stories high, thereby closing
the street and preventing me from using the elevator
in the building. I have madc many attempts to the
various departments, without any jurisdiction, or have
they not the means to open this street, or cart away
the rubbish?

If you could send one of your staff to see the con-
(lition, he will be amazed that in this city anything
hke this could occur; to have a street closed for over
thrce months and preventing me from rcnting the
pi cmises or having proper access.

I hope you will take this matter up, as I cannot get
anv redress in anv direction.

(Signed)            '                    LP^O SCHLESINGER.





Thc Williamsburgh, Manhattan and Rrooklyn bridges
.irc said to be the longest suspension bridgcs in the
vvorld.