The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-24
Transportati angle May be
Unwog .Iow With
WARMER Days
on Tap.
FUEL ON THE MOVE
Factories Plan to Speed up In Order
to Make up for Lost Time
on Five Closed
Days.

limited Press Leased Wire service.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-Frgtd
weather over the eastern states Is
about to release its strangle hold on
the national railroad Official fore
casts today gave promise Of general
relief except in northern New England,
this moderation, coupled with the en-
barge on unessential freight ship
ments being put into effect by prac-
ticaIly all eastern lines either under
ofncial order or voluntarily, Is expect
ed to unravel further the great trans
portation tangle east Of the Missis-
lsippi
Little was moving over these rail-
roads today but fuel, food and war ne
cessities.
Creation Of zone distributing sys-
TENS throughout the country was ex-
pected today as the next development
to hasten shipment Of fuel to PREFER
ed consumers. Domestic needs will
now be met first, the situation as to
|bunkering idle ships in Atlantic ports
haveing been materially improved
during the last week.
More Drastic HeatIess Days.
Even more drastic enforcement OF
ginning next Monday. To assist in
this, the food administration today
wired all food administrations that
wholesale and retail stores dealing in
foods should close for patriotic rea-
sons at noon on the heatless days
In cases where suffering would re-
suit from this, however, the local ad-
ministrator is given power to modify
the ruling.
Needs OF unorganized laGorers,
clerks and workmen, will get hear
ing from the national railroad soon.
Wage increases for these workers
whose salaries have remained station
ary while living costs have scared,
will be given special consideration by
the wage commission recently ap-
pointed by director general McAdoo.
Scores Of petitions have recently been
received by the wage board. While
the big four brotherhoods are organ
lied strongly and are able to present
their cases to the wage commission.
unorganized workers have no means
of collectively demanding wage in1
creases.
HEARING for Wage Earners.
Freight house laborers, telegraphers,
dispatchers, clerks, signal men. track
men, section hands and scores OF
other groups, some organized more or
less, and others utterly without
spokesmen will be given attention by
a special committee Of four to be
named soon by the wage commission.
Living costs, working conditions and
wages will be thoroughly investigated.
| The public and the railroad inter
ests will be considered in connection
Of the needs of the workers and rec
concentrations fair to all three parties
will be sought, it is declared.
viii Work Overtime.
CHICAGO, Jan. 24.-Chicago fac
tories plan to work overtime to make
up for the business lost during the
Garfield FIVE day shut down and
"workless Mondays" according to in
formation reaching state coal ad-
ministration officials today.
This would dissipate any benefit
derived from the conservation order,
it was pointed out, and authorities
are taking steps to head off such a
move.
Illinois will continue on hand
to mouth" coal diet for the remain
der of the winter and only spring
and warm weather will relieve the
100000 ton coal shortage, state fuel
administration officials said today
Even future Garfield holidays will
not compensate for the 5500OO tons
annually imported from Indiana and
now embargoed by that state, they
said.
Consumers will be confronted with
even more threatening coal condi-
tions before the crisis is passed,