New-York tribune., 1917-12-25
Mild Weather and RaiIro.,
Activity Cause Lars.s
Shipment in Month,
Distress Now Ended
Administrator Declare, NJ.
York VIII Soon Have
Fuel Reserve

The mild weather and a sudS,, =.
burst Of energy On the par. u -
road companies in obtaining I.ss, !.
unload coal cars assisted in br;,..
into New York City more than n.'
tons from Saturday noon TN y.,..,x.
morning. II is months since ,,.,
flow Of fuel has descended ma, -
greater city, and fuel sdministrstio, !,
ficials permitted themselves to ins,,..
in a Christmas cheer over n. l,,..
receipts.
Fuel administrators ard fuel A.,
ers were confident that New Va,
would have a warm Christmas. no r,,
ter what happened to the n.r,u,
There is az least enough on hsn3 !,
keep everybody in town warm in n
morrow, according TO their estiu.,
The borough fuel administrators a.
there was not a single case Of a,
tress in sight.
Railroads Brought Into Line
The increased activity on TIE rsn
Of the railroads did not cone a !,
surprise to the fuel men, who Lsy,
been sitting up nights worrying ever
the shortage. II is an open secret IA
the coal trade that the goyernmers st
late has applied s:-sss pressure On a.
railroads not only to deliver coal Al
terminals, but dump il. Last week 6s
railroads pleaded shortage Of labor,
but il was found that they were PAT.
ing only thirty cents an hour for ,is
most gruelling hard labor, while tie
city paid as much as s. per day fsr
shovelling snow. IL was reported ys,.
terday that the railroads had hnsllJ
come up on wages.
Although the city received more thss
$4,000 tons over Sunday the resir:,
of every borough in the city were way
below quota. A half-dozen industries
in Brooklyn reported coal shortags. In
Queens, where the scarcity Of fasl Ia,
been felt keenly, there are several cor.
Germs that have nearly exhausted tasif
reserves Some OF these are engaged
on government contracts, according 10
Fuel Administrator George ]. Rysi oi
that borough.
Queens Short 10000 Tons
Mr. Ryan said that Queens was ihor.
about 10000 tons Of its normal sup
ply and that the receipts since SATURDAY
amounted TO 2,l2O tons. The daily
needs OF Queens total approxinsttly
1000 tons. Mr.. Ryan said the state
fuel administration was considering
appealing 20 the Pennsylvania 70 ts-
liver coal through the tube IN case ns
shortage grew worse.
Otis L. Williams, fuel administrsiN
of Richmond, reported that he had gois
so far as TO commander coal frsz
cellars of persons who had more ths'
they needed for immediate use. !s'
seph A. Hall, deputy fuel administrator
of The Bronx, said there were AlI'
tons on hand and that 4,i00 tons were
received.
Albert II. Wiggin. state fuel admins,
traitor. yesterday announced his ia
committee which will have ecnsrol o.
distribution, with powers 20 discern,
mate against any industry considered
70 be non-essential. The eomni''s'
consists of Harry 7. Peters, ehairnsh
and John W. whitley, both coal es'l,
ers; Walter 5. Sullivan, Of the MUS
Life Insurance Company; George y
Pratt. of the State Conservation Cs1'
mission: County Fuel Administers
Reeve Sehley and G. NJ. Dahl ves
president of the Chase National pah'
No General Authority Givn
Mr.. Wiggin made public . k!nI
which he received from NatIenh ~
Administrator II. A. Garfield s"un'
that he had not yet undertaken 70 ~ ~,
mulate a general authority gyihg ~ ~
specific terms 10 all Federal iusi 4.
ministrato.s in the exercise OF 81.
criminatory power. Mr.. Gsrnels VIZ
that ne felt il wiser to grant Ine poss
in each particular case as 'ne NV
arose. t.,
Mr.. Schley said administrator: o. = -
city had finished the fixing Of p's.
margins for dealers, but would no' |"
nounce them till tomorrow.
Burns Brothers did bit Oh p'.,
fixing on their own authority, ysNsl
Iay nostino si0ns in their yards wax
stated that cellar dealers wouio nv ~. 4
allowed 10 charge more than =, 80 ..r,
a hundred pounds on cash ana 80
basis and 10 cents hundred pVs 49,
delivered. Failure TO comply VIVA ~
regulations would result IN eupins y
,,n,,I;os ,bo ,otfca stated.