The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-15
RELIEF FOR NEW YORK.
Limited Priority Order Issued By Di-
reetor-General.


Washington, d. C., Jan. l5.-ln Interior
ence with railroad transportation by thu
blizzard led Director General McAdoo las
might 10 establish limited priority or
lders ON coal and food for New Norl
land vicinity. giving the first instrue
lions Of the kind since he recently can
celled all formal priority. For the mid
die West where most freight and pas
senger traffic was still held up yester'
day by frigid weather and deep snow
Mr.. McAdoo issued no priority orders
but railroad arrangements received in
struetions TO move coal and food ahead
of all other shipments, and TO do their
utmost To clear the snow from main
travel routes
Action on the New York situation was
taken ON advice of a. H. Smith, assist
ant director in charge OF eastern lines,
who reported that Is ships were held in
New York harbor awaiting bunker coal,
and that trus-Atlantic freight move
ments were suffering 10 that extent. Ac-
cordingly Mr.. McAdoo ordered prefer
ence OF movement as follows; First,
coal for domestic use and vital public
utilities.
Second, food.
Third, coal for bunkering the ships in
New York harbor which are loaded for
American armies abroad and for the al
lies
As soon as normal weather is restored,
the priority order will be withdrawn. Al
though Mr., Smith recommended the pref
erence for domestic coal even at the
risk of shutting down industries for a
few days, Mr.. McAdoo expressed the
hope that il will not materially affect
industrial activity"
This appears to be the shortest cut
to a restoration of normal conditions,
he said. 1T is hoped, therefore, that
everybody will cooperate by submitting
as cheerfuly "a possible to the tempo
rary Inconvenience the plan may oc-
casion, in order that il may be made in
the highest degree effective and that
prompt relief may be brought about
As "A result OF the almost complete |
tie-up of traffic in the middle West, a |
multitude OF requests for priority for !
many commodities poured in upon the
railroad administration yesterday, but |
all were refused until Mr.. Smith tele- !
graphed his urgent recommendations for
the New York situation. Officials eX
planned that with this exception, the |
situation can best be
cleared up by letting railroads move
what they can of the whole bulk of
freight, accumulating as result OF the
storm. When normal conditions are re
stored. flexible program of preferences
may be established, it Is said, but not
until all danger of serious interference
with traffic by priority is past.
Freight moving week" opened yes
erday under rather inauspicious circum-
stances with drawage and unloading ia
'ilities at terminals occupied with 9th
II tasks made necessary by the storm,
mt the rising temperatures over the
ountry gave officials hope that the lat
or DAYS of the week would be open for |
great freight clearance movement to |
eleasc ears Hundreds of kilograms |
rom shippers organizations chambers
i commerce and other organizations !
cached the director general yesterday,
romising strenuous efforts to make 4
reight moving week a success
Edward w. Chambers, general traffic
irectOr of the railroad administration,
esterday took up the question of CO.
rdinating government shipments and ar
anged plan for clearance through the \
abroad administration of all special re-
uests for hurry movements for the army
nd navy, shipping board, fuel, and food
or other branches of the
overnment. On war department ship
tents he will cooperate especially with
. NJ. Adams, vice president Of the Mis-
luri Pacific, who has been put in charge
all quartermasters' shipments. Spe
al needs Of the Emergency Fleet corpor
lion for heavy fir timbers from the
lest and other materials are under con
Iteration. and assurances have been Civ
that building will not be allowed To
g because Of transportation difficulties