SPAB on Building

The U.S. construction industry (2,400,000 employes, $11,200,000,000 gross) was thrown into turmoil last week by a tough-sounding Washington press handout: the new Supply Priorities & Allocation Board would ban every bit of construction which could not qualify as defense or "essential to the health and safety of the people."

Actually the announcement, when analyzed, meant little more than what SPAB said two weeks ago in ordering priorities for defense housing (TIME, Oct. 6). With most building materials earmarked for defense through priorities, non-defense builders would have to scramble for the rest, would doubtless have to curtail from 1941 levels. SPAB might logically make itself tsar of the building industry some day (as Bernard M. Baruch's World War I Industries Board did by requiring special permits for all projects involving more than $500). But it was not ready to go that far last week.

Most significant part of the announcement was that SPAB, in issuing priorities for building materials, would apply the same standards to public works as to private construction. This put SPAB in a position to veto Congressional appropriations for bridges, harbor improvement, other "pork" contained in a $1,000,000,000 rivers & harbors bill now before a House committee. If SPAB uses that power, it will doubtless run into the same trouble as did the Baruch board--which had to beat down opposition from the Senate, from such characters as Mayor Hylan of New York City, whose $8,000,000 school project was stopped.

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