New-York tribune., 1918-01-19
Many Firms Will Pay
Wages Either in Part or
Whole to Workers
Exemption Granted
To $50 Industries
Labor Wants Employers to
Pay for Lost Time; Shift
Of Help Feared

Like { soldier who grumbles in bill
lets. but when the whistle blows zoe
over ihe top with rush. New York di,
her first real wartime bit yesterday b,
an almost complete shutdown of indus
trial activity. as decrced by the Ma
tiona Fuel Administration.
Midnight last night saw Il ifth O
1ne period of enforced factory idle
ness completed, but with the rest O
tie country affected by the CARTEL,
oruer the city prepared to meet an,
ADJUST itself to what will likely be
situation more toying and complex tha,
the present-the Monday holiday seric
of ten, OF which Monday next Will b.
the first.
Out of the weller of confusion Incl
dent to the cessation of factory work il
the metropolitan area these facts ap
peared to be outstanding:
Forty thousand industrial cstab-
lishments III the metropolitan district
including the greater city and
nearby New Jersey and Westchester
County losed, sending 1850 900
workers to idieness, the Merchants
Association estimated.
In Manhattan and Brooklyn alone.
due to decreased manufacturing, the
Edison Company saved 900 tons Of
coal.
Harry T. Peters. chairman OF .hc
fuel Conservation Committee. said
some industries might have to re-
main closed for a longer time than
the five days lie pointed out that the
national administrators order con-
tanned list Of essential industries
that must be supplied with fuel.
These must get fuel, he said even if
other plants are forced to remain
shut up for a longer period.
Many employers will. contrary to
the announced policy of the Steel
Corporation. pay their idle help at
least part of the wage they would
have earned.
The Central Fedora ted Union, meet
ing last night, decided that labor
would not pay for the days which the
fuel administration wiped off the in
dustrial calendar. 1t adopted
resolution asking Samuel Gompcrs,
president Of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, to "dcmand" of Fuel
Administrators Garfield that he COM
pei employers to pay their workmcn
for the time lost.
companies began revising train and
car schedules for the series Of Mon
day holidays.
Retail stores will be open today
The Retail Dry Goods Association
will meet this morning to decide as to
the action to be taken on Monday
The big stores will act in harmony.
Reeve Schley. county fuel adminis-
traitor. was deluged with requests
from factory owners for exemption.
but Of 5000 requests filed only ) per
cent were granted
Mr.. Schley predicted marked sue
cess for the coal-saving innovation.
adding that. in his opinion, it would
be observed as universally as light
less nights have been, and that it was
an acid test of the country's patriot
ism.
Laundries Are Exempted
or the city's industries listed at first
among those that would be closed, the
fought successfully for ex-
emption yesterday and. on the plea
that they were public utilities, were au-
thor'zed to finish what work they had
on hand Those that thereafter get
the written approval Of the Health De
partment will be allowed 20 do business
as usual. Candy factories. on the con-
trary. will have to close
The response to the shut down order
was remarkably unanimous, in view of
the great wave OF protest that first rose
when the governments plan was an
nounced. yet only canvass will give
plants of vlolators reaching the local
fuel administrators Yesterday were,
however, negligible. inspectors are al
ready at work. and they will be as
sisted by the United States marshal's
office and by the police. Both the 20
lice and fire departments will remain
cs specially alert to prevent fires. Mayor
Hylan having called attention as others
have to the danger Of a confagration
through the possible freezing of sprink
Ter apparatus IN heatless BUILDINGS
There were hardly any hcatless Of
fee buildings yesterday, although the
restrictions now in force do not apply
to them. But in many buildings light
ing. heating and elevator service was
curtailed Possibly due to this, the
rumor spread that theatres were to be
closed last night. and box office men
Of many requests to ex-
change seats The fact is the theatres
will be closed Monday night the first
coal holiday The Stock Exchange
and the banks have not altered their
decision to remain open Mondays, al
though Exchange members will trans
act their business in overcoats and
C-A:I d.