The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-01-18

SOIu pOl uI lly CllG OIuCI "uO OlS5lI Garfield with the approval of 1 By it's provisions manufacturing 1 plants east of the Mississippi and in Louisiana and Minnesota, with rare exceptions, will be closed for five days beginning today and virtually all business activity will be stopped on every Monday for period of 10 weeks beginning Jan. 21. Through its application the fuel ad- Inintstration expects coal to move to essential consumers, including rail roads, households, public utilities, shipping interests and producers of food, in whose behalf the order is is- sued.
 A supplementary list of exemptions issued last night embraces various in- duStries engaged in imperative war work, Ship yards working on navy construction, plants filling contracts for army and navy woolen uniforms, tent makers and makers of other pro- ducts deemed necessary for imme- dfats use of the military forces were named In this list
 Newspapers are unaffected by the five day closing, but are limited to holiday editions on heatless Mondays. Indication was given also that plants requiring heat to maintain themselves would be permitted to burn coal for /, this purpose, but would not be per mitted to operate. This was inter preted by many as applying to blast furnaces
 Protest from business interests throughout the country and the storm in congress continued today. Failure of the fuel administration to heed the senate request that the order be held up until an investigation could be made led to an agitation by many senators in favor of making direct appeal to the President, The sen sate's request was in the form of a resolution deibai ed and adopted by a ..Eatev oa,a5 O. to Is about the same time that MT. Garfield's signature was af- dixed to the order. Prior to that time the fuel administrator had been be- fore the senate Investigating commit tee to give his reasons for the move
 In the house acton on a resolution Wheeler MT. and Mrs. H. c. Ives and by acting Republican Leader Gillett, was prevented after sharp debate by refusal of Representative Cox, Dem Eocrat- to give unanimous consent for its consideration.
 The fuel administrator justified his action in a long statement last night Ein which he said he was prompted by the necessity for furnishing the Amer acan army abroad and Allies with food and supplies
 | 4~Jn R7spk ksfb1e attempt might be made in the senate to bring about the repeal of that section If the food law under (which the order was issued, but many Ebelieved that any action in this direc- -tion would be too late-
 Coal operators under contract tc supply industries will not be shu down. Orders from the fuel admins . tration instruct them to ship their coa as usual, consigning it to state fuel ad 1ninistrators with drafts attached The government will buy all coa mined where industries are forbidden to receive it A sum of $25 ,ooO, 0ot will be set aside for the purchase
 Food industries without exception will be permitted to operate on ful time according to an interpretation of the order made public by Fuel Ad rninfstratUr Hoover
 "It is my understanding, said MT Hoover. that the order does not in c1ude grain elevators, grain mills bakeries, stock yards, meat packint establishments, cold storage plants tsugar factories or any other form O the food industry
 Support of the measure despite fh fact that organized labor would b one of the chief sufferers, has bee announced by Samuel Gompers. presi
 dent of the American Federation c sIabor. MT. Gcmpers, however, e1
 pressed doubt whether the five da
 suspension was the best way to Tnee
 the situation, and suggested that a. industries be placed on an eight ho1
 day hasis.
 Announcement that the use of a forms of fuel, wood, oil and naturs
 gas as well as coal, would be prohit ited caused considerable confusion tC
 day, and strenuous efforts are prom
 ised to have wood. oil natural g
 and water power users exempted.
 New York, Jan. IS.-New York CT tered today on the five day period ( , Industrial suspension somewhat be
 wildered because of lack of author
 tative information concerning detai of the operation of the eoa1 conserve
 tion orders, but determined to acceI
 periodically whatever hardships ma
 come.
 Local fuel administrators deluge by thousands of inquiries, were unab