Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-01
WANTS FACTORIES
TO CHANGE HOURS
Y. ]. Denman Of United Light & Rail.
way Company Suggests Way in
Which 10 Conserve Fuel.
COAL WASTE NOW ENCOUNTERED
Sesk n Alter Schedules OF Industrial
Concerns No Closing Would
Not be Simultaneous.

NAV result from request TO be is
sued BY the war board OF the electric
railways to the federal fuel admins
ration, asking that factory working
schedules be altered so that the clos
'ne hours in a locality will not come
simultaneously. The suggestion is
that some factories start al o'clock
In the morning and others at intervals
of 81 minutes up to about $50, and
The closing time be heightened out In
the same manner
This idea is announced by Britton
7 Bald. president Of the Chicago Ele-
ygfed railways and one OF the FIVE
members ef The war board Of the cleo
lrical railways OF the country, who
have been in conference on the pro-
posed plan
This radical plan, which is stated
to 20 big way in conserving coal
used hy power and light plants, is the
same. idea which B. J. Dennan. pres
jdeni OF the United Light e. Railways
company. proposed in letter written
In October 10 n. A. Garfield. federal
casI administrator, at Washington, D.
e. Mfr. Denmsns letter, which ex-
plains the reasons for such change
ana the results that can be secured
thereby, follows:
"I have noted in the Chicago papers
statement that YOU were going TO
prohibit or al least restrict the use Of
electricity for signs and other display
lighting, i'm order 10 conserve coal.
During tho past winter it was neces-
sary 10 restrict the use of signs and
other display lighting in several large
cities AS lar as possible in order to
keep the factories going, hut there is
another way in which very much
greater saving in coal can be made.
During the months of November to
January, inclusive there is an over
tapping of the lighting, power and
railway loads, due to the fact that the
lighting load comes on earlier than
during the rest Of the year. This makes
10 necessary for the central stations
10 provide a large amount of excess
plant capacity 10 meet this peak load
which is only on about an hour and q
halt a day during these months. Ir
order to meet this peak load which
lasts only about an hour and halt
each day banked fires are carried for
or, hours day and this represents
3u absolute waste of coal which could
he prevented by Encouragement O
factory hours, and in addition 10 thit
waste the coal required for factor,
lighting could be practically elm
mated
"lt is the custom in most commnni
les 10 shorten up the week by no
working Saturday afternoons, but i
he factories operated the same mum
Der OF hours per week, working Sat
urday afternoons, and taking a hal
hour instead OF an hour az noon. tn
power load would not lap on the light
ing load. and all Of the coal which /
consumed to furnish power for fac
'ory lighting would be saved. and thi
must run into millions Of tons pc
4unum
Would Increase Output.
This would not reduce the outpu
Of the factories, but on the contrar
undoubtedly would increase the out
put as it is we'll established that
factory output is not as great unde
artificial light as II is with daylight
and in addition 10 this many factor
managers are convinced that there
decided stacking up on Saturday
when il is known that a full day
not to be put in,
There is an additional saving du
10 The fact that the men leaving til
factories would go home before me
"a hi ion,
reduce The peak on the power house
supplying street railways, which is o,
casioned by the large number of cal
which are necessary to handle so man
people simultaneously. With the shor
or factory hours the men from Il
factories would be moved and the cal
released for handling people from Il
business districts.
II appreciate, OF course, that the
might be some opposition on the pa
Of the working men to the change
factory hours, but II would seem TIL
under present conditions plan Ill
this would greatly reduce fuel Co
sumption and undoubtedly increa
The output of the factories, would II
he objected to.
| II this plan appeals to you, and "
\ DO not feel that an order 10 comp
4 with II necessary or desirable at 4
n present time, 1t is possible that su
l geslion made TO the manufacturers
l the country to conform to some SUI
4 plan might be very effective, B
1 cause we are of the opinion that t
4 coal situation this winter will be mo
~ acute than II was last year