Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-02-07
WHY We RETAIN
HEATLESS MONDAYS
Their Abandonment Would Have
Caused Widespread Suffer.
ing, Says Garfield.

Washington, Feb. 6.-Fuel Administrators
Garfield explained In announcement to-
day that the decision Of the fuel and rail-
road administrations to continue the Mon
day closing program was prompted by the
fear of widespread human suffering due
to the coal shortage.
DR.. Garfield said State fuel administra-
tors reported to him a substantial saving
of coal on Mondays Public utilities con-
Germs in % cities. he said, saved 25 per
cent. of fuel The heatless Mondays will
be continued, he added, until the railroads
are able to move coal. If the weather
moderates DR.. Garfield believes embargoes
perhaps will be all that is necessary.
Danger of widespread suffering from
lack Of coal still is imminent, fuel admins.
tration officials declared tonight in an.
nouncing officially the continuance of the
Monday closing order.
State fuel administrators have reported
that thousands Of homes in New York and
other cities Of the East and Middle West
have no coal. and cannot get it in suffi.
cient quantities to make living conditions
bearable.
This situation coupled with to-daya
, railroad administration reports that
freight and coal movement was almost
at a standstill both yesterday and to-day
in the East, prompted Fuel Administrator
Garfield to announce that "the possibility
Of human suffering is too imminent to
permit any relaxation in the present ef-
forts to conserve and increase the exist
ing supply Of coal"
DR.. Garfield expressed the hope, how
ever. that after next week railroad
freight embargoes and preferential coal
delivery orders may be used as substi-
tutes for heatless Mondays to effect coal
savings.
shut down on Monday, February II, and
the closing In many States on the day
| following Lincoln's birthday. It will bs
/ possible henceforth to rely upon embar
goes and the preference in movement oi
food and fuel ordered by the director.
general Of railroads"
TIL fuel administration is considerinf
issuing request that all industries ant
business houses suspend operations mex
Tuesday. Lincoln's birthday
Officials are now convinced that thu
industrial suspension has been efilcaciou
In actually saving fuel in quantities ant
that the consumption at other times hal
not been increased by the temporary shut
down. Without attempting to measur,
the result by comparative statistics Off
! Sidio citcu tHc report OF tn0 naClOn0
committee on gas and electric service
that in % large cities gas and electro
companies saved from q to 25 per cent
of their normal coal consumption on tn
f1ve-day suspension period between Jan
uary II and 20 and on the heatless Mon
days. These public utilities were sal,
to furnish a fair index of the genera
saving.
State and local fuel administrators re
ported to-day that hundreds of manufafc
turing plants are using their last day
emergency supply of coal without imme
diate prospect Of obtaining more. Il
many cities. householders besieged rail
road yards to get few bushels of the Goa
from the cars that came trickling In eve
railroads crippled by yesterdays bite
blizzard.
For the railroads, weather conditions to
day were a little better. but still freigh
traffic was less than half of normal, an
although coal had preference everywhere
comparatively small stocks Of 1t wer
hauled. Engines could not reach mine
through 2O-foot snow drifts In some Penn
sylvania regions and consequently mine
. were idle. Omcials pointed out that tn
full effect Of this arrangement will be fel
tomorrow and Saturday, and even b.
the middle Of next week II weather sti
remains as hostile to successful opera
tions.