Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-01-25
Astounding Order by Garfield
Stops Nations Industries
for Five Days.
CAUSED BY THE COAL FAMINE
Nine Additional Holidays 0ecreed-
Storm Of Protests Is Unavailins-At-
tacks on Secretary Baker Continue
Central Powers Reject Russian
Peace Proposals.
BY EDWARD W. PicKARD.

1T Is the earnest desire of HE fuel
administration to prevent entirely amy
diSlocation of industry or of labor
With these words. Fuel Administrator
Garfield closed his summary of the
most drastic and startling experiment
in domestic and war economy made by
This or any other government For five
days beginning january IS every fac
tory aud workshop ia the region east of
lle Mississippi and including all Of
Louisiana aud Minnesota, was ordered
closed. with the exception Of those
manufacturing periShable food ar food
Tor immediate consumption. Ten sue
ceSsivc Mondays beginning January y
are ordered To be observed rs holidays
when the consumption Of coal shall
cease except in specified cases.
Doctor Garfield stated that he ex-
pected 10 save 30OOO,OOO tons ~ coal
by his order. Very likely he will but
his plan announced without warning,
HlhN-ul u lItll'ltu'NN NtbllH h''hA W.
head Innumerablc business men.
whose affairs were diSlocated despite
The earnest desire" Of the adminiStru-
tnr flooded Washington with protests
and requests for revocation of the
order hut II had been issued after con
Sultation with and by direction Of
President Wilson and the walters had
no chance for relief save in those indi.
yidual instances where II was neces-
sary To prevent injury TO health or de-
,;ruction Of property.
Another and most important angle 10
he situation was the enforced loss Of
millions of dollars in wages to work
erS. Some big concerns did not deduct
ANYTHING from the pay Of their en-
ployeeS but II was beyond hope that
this example would ny followed by any
considerable number of employers.
Congress, startled out Of lis usual
dellheratiye calm got Into action i'm.
mrdinlely The senate committee on
manufacturers called Doctor Garfield
before il and heard an explanation
that did not explain. and the senate
thereupon adopted resolution asking
hat the order be delayed for five days
for investigation. This AdminiStra-
tor Garfield. on advice Of the president,
ignored. In the house various resolu-
lions were introduced. but immediate
action vas blocked by certain Demo
Gratis.
As finally issued. the order per
United ship yards and essential war in
duStricS 10 get coal and remnin in
operation during the five voorhees,
days
The metropolitan press Of the roun-
Try IN general bitterly scored Doctor
Garfield for his order and declared
that Il not only was CHASTITY mistake,
hut exposed 10 the world the utter in
competence Of America 10 meet Il con
,lltlon that throughout the war has
tOflfunttu me nhuoHS ailleu Win W.
and yet has called for no such punicky
action by any one Of them. The severe
winter weather which paralyzed traffic,
and The extraordinary demands for
fuel due to wartime conditions are
cited by Doctor Garfield as the causes
making necessary his order The
miners blame the railroads for the coal
shortage, and the railroads blame the
starvation policy" of the government
toward them for the last generation
More coal was mined In the United
States last year than ever before. the
output exceeding that of 1915 by 10.
100000 tons Of anthracite and 1900.
tW0 tons Of bItuminous, OF the output