The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-10-30
SUIT BEGUN TO
Dim WHITE WAY
Fuel Administrator Brings
Miss Broadway to Court to
Consider Her Jewels.


WAsHINGroN, oct 29.---The Great
White Way Is on trial for her very life
and before a Judge that has never been
very keen about her sort anyway, DR..
Harry A. Garfield. Fuel Administrator.
They have got her in court here and
they are looking at her very askance
They say In SO many words that she Is
a useless, expensive hussy. and they
are very much OF a mind to strip her
OF her Jewels Ullgotten. they hint) and
Of her glistenins fnery. The best they
are inclined to grant to her Is a brief
period Of splsndOr. . few hours between
! +. NJ. and the sad hour that New
Workers. are now sent to bed for the good
of their country.
Her Jewels, which arc her flashing
night lights-the coruscant illumnations
that dazzle the eye from Herald SQuafe
to Harlem. the electric kittens that
,angle electric floss. the electric eagles
that fiaunt electric wings over e,ectric
peer signs, the spinning tires. the foam
ing JOY waters all OF those White Way
glories that natives take pride In and
that draw the more or less gentle
stranger from afar--cost money and ear
up good coal which Uncle Sam thinks
may have TO be conserved for larger
causes.
Business Effect Feared.
Only the recognition OF the fact that
the darkening of Broadway might mean
great injury to Droadways business and
consequent loss, perhaps, to Uncle Sam
IN taxes, stands in the way OF ciothing
the gay lady in sombre robes, Of making
her as dismal OF nights as her humble
sisters of tine old Dutca cowpath DIS
trict-Pearl and Ann and the Maiden
lane
She sent her lawyer to court. to the
hearing which was held to-day by the
Fuel Administration, and like a good
lawyer he argued his best for his Inn
perilled client. He made out that she
was a respectable woman-no light crsa-
ture At all-that her jewels wee nom
estly come by and n credit to the whole
knickerbocker family.
When they pressed him hard, walter
I. Salmon, appearing for Miss Broad
way. admitted, with reservations, that
the jewelied lights did use up "A lot OF
coal. and that something might be done
in the way Of economy without utterly
extinguishing them. The lady had GER
tain agreements to fulfil. he said, In the
way OF contracts made for jewels, and
he thought these contracts should be
fulflled.
He suggested that here and there
kerosene lights might be utilized to take
the pace OF eiectric sisns-paste Tor the
real thing, but better than nothing, as
many a girl in hard luck has come TO
know.
Offers a solution.
u II. Moves, head of the conserva ton
section OF the fuel administration, sug-
gested that "A way out OF the trouble
might be found by turning on Broad
ways lights after the pressure Of the
burden on the power OF electric COM
panies had passed for the day, which
would be about or go J.. NJ. The
peak OF the burden is AT =. NJ, and
from then on until S or s 80 i. NJ the
power companies are hard pressed to
supply transportation lines and other
vital interests. In past years Miss
broadway has dccked herself at 4:30
r. NJ. The saving of four or iivc hours
expenditure OF coal for her blazing
lights would relieve the situation. it
was suggested.
Another meeting will be held to-mor-
row before the committee on gas and
electricity of the Council OF National
Defence. of which John W. I.ieb, vice.
president OF the New York Edi3pn Com
pany, Is chairman.
AS matters stand L; seems certain
that Miss Broadway, like Mile. de Paris.
will have to walk more soberly when
the dark hours come.