El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-19

7UEL ADMINISTRATOR GARFIELD VIII be known II
t4the years to come the who parayzed the N
fusres Of the United States for five days In the midst
Of warfare and stopped them day each week tor ten
weeks thereafter This is the most memorable event II
modern history It may blessing president wilson
and Mr. Garfield believe it may be calamity as me
majority Of congress and most business men peneEe s
alone prove which it IS but Of its importance tnee
can be no doubt
This order leaves our southwest untouched, prae
tealy So for indirect effects not to be counted IN
great happening like this, but it does strike Ftay the
entire country Of the Mississippi and the states OF
Minnesota ana Louisiana west OF the big Hyer IN tnat
great 90 percent Of the manufacturing power OF tne
country It is the region Of teeming cities busting towns
and thcy planted smOkestaeks It IS where things are
made and in the Veday perod IN winch we now are, e
cities are sed holidays and smoke pouring out
from the smokesacs Of only those factories engaged IN the
1nanufaeture Of food and munitions
Five mlioa wage earnerS not counting the saiaIeu
ece forces affected according to the best estimates
and their earnings amount to at least s15eooooo day
OF s75O0OO0 for the fveday period, though one day
deducted for Sunday Some factories work Sunday
shifts but most do In Philadelphia alone, 100000
orkmen are left idle in New York city and suburbs
10000 and Boston, than 100000 Ptts6uIg and
Detroit have their armies Of workmen, all lett IDLE hy tne
fuel administrators order, and there are many other cues
small and large to bring up the total Not only factories
but department and other mercantile establishments
not engaged the sale of food eater office buildings
newspapers and enterprises of many kinds are aecteo
For the east is dead stopping of the wheels OF progress
The order due, Mr. Garfield informed the senate COM
ttee coal Investigation to the shortage OF eoai ana
the even greater shortage Of in which to haul the
coal He estimated the coal shortage at 3oeee0O ions
Industries halted in order that househoder public
might be accumulated for the factories BE made the order
elastic enough provide that permits might be granted to
shpyzrds and such other necessary industries as might
be specified to operate Everything else with the various
exceptions above noted vas closed down tight.
is II necessary? There sharp division On that point
The fuel administration believed and he evidently re
Elected the mature opinion Of president Wilson and his
cabinet The steadfasness with which he stood BY the
order he issued against the most powerful pressure
made it certain he sincere and that ne was sohoy
backed By the executive branch Of the government
Il the debate last Thursday, the day preceding the
eeci=e date Of the order and when might have been
rescnded shutdown averted the country saw bitter
one hand and the executive department Of the government
On the other Washington was almost overwhelmed BY an
avalanche of kilograms against the order People were
cited argumentative OF vehement Congressman de-
Irged With protests from home Congress was IN an up
roar PARTY lines were obteTated. Only small group
little group of the faithful Democrats well Repub-
Hcans did everything in their power to annul that order
They introduced delaying resolutions IN both houses they
called and argued with fuel administrator Garfield They
fed on the floor Of the house and the senate and had
themselves quoted in denuncatory interviews They used
every pressure that could be brought to bearand failed
The executive branch Of the government had what con-
dere5 the proper solution Of the predominant industrial
difficulties The bit vas in the teeth and away it went
There should Be and probably is no desire whatever
% the part Of any true citizen Of the United States to
handicap the government in any IN the prosecution OF
the var We must all conclude that the executive officers
had tie best for their acon that they con-
sdered absolutely necessary to shut down these plants
fer the general welfare Of the country.
The whole thing however, has caused the American peo-
ple to wonder little official foresight-taken at the
proper nemght not have obviated the necessity for
shutdoEr
there has always seemed to be enough coal other win