New Britain herald., 1917-12-11
3LIGHTLESS nights
A WEEK PLANNED
The Food Administration ConSid-
ers Plan to Darker White Ways

Washington, Dec. 11.-There are to
be real Eighties nights along Broad
way and on the White Ways of all
large communities in the country IT
plan now under consideration by the
Fuel Administration is adopted. Under
this plan, on Sunday night, and per-
haps one or two other nights of each
week, the order lights OUT would
be given, and refusal to obey would
mean shutting off coal supplies to
the offending plants.
Street lights and special lights need
ed for police purposes would be the
only outdoor lighting permitted Thea
ter signs, advertising signs, even the
electric signs directing patrons to
moving picture houses and stores
would be out on the nights named
in the Fuel Administrations proposed
order
The plan has been proposed be-
cause COMPROMISES which have been
suggested have not accomplished any
appreciable fuel saving and have not
met with a hearty spirit of co-opera-
ton. Many theaters and business
houses had endeavored to avoid the
consequences, it was said today, and
there seems little or no doubt that
the new regulations will be put into
effect soon.
If they are, Broadway will get
real taste of ar conditions, 50 far
as lighting is concerned. Conditions
will be much the same as they have
been in London, where aircraft raids
have made necessary the most severe
restrictions. On the nights when the
lights OUT order was not in effect,
however, there would be no restric-
ton on the present conditions in New
York.
The Fuel Administration issued this
statement today, regarding the pro-
posed order:
The United States Fuel Admins
tration has under consideration a def
mite plan for 'ightless nights
throughout the country, somewhat
similar to 'wheatless' and 'meatlesg
days.
1T is now proposed to darken all
outdoor lighting, other than street
lights and special municipal lights
needed for police purposes, on certain
nights Of each week. On other nights,
according to the plan, signs would be
permitted to burn.
THE plan under discussion provides
1OT TdulCdl CIlduScS III Tic OTuoT put
out on Nov. last. which restricted
illuminated signs to certain hours,
making such exceptions of merchants
and theater signs as seemed reason
able. III actual application, it now
appears, this order is impracticable.
'Thc evidence of all eyes is that
the streets Of cities are virtually as
light as before these special signs were
darkened. State Federal Fuel Ad-
rniniStrations in New York, Illinois,
and other states have reported in de-
tail on the impossibility of getting re-
suits from the old order They say
it is the tents of thousands of small
signs that count
'Lightless nights would save coal
in large quantities, according to the
figures before the Fuel Administra-
ton. 1t would be a part of the plan
to show every citizen the war neces-
sity and have him join in the saving.
In every residence, apartment house,
and office building people would be
asked to use not more than one
half the usual lighting.
under the conditions noted in the
November order the White wavs'
have kept their brilliancy, and the
coal saving has not been large; under
the new plan the White Ways would
disappear entirely on certain nights -