Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-31
Iegional Adviser Confers
With Major MacLaren
on Situation Here
NO OCCASION FOR ALARM
Declares War Industries Board
Representative Has Author.
ity to Adjust Matters

Major Maclaren. while not haynl
INDIVIDUAL authority TO adjust and solve
x the power situation. has the power e
40 so through the priority rulings o
the priority committee of the board, aut
~ ne will do so. If people will just con
a serve power and not get excited ol
alarmed. everything viii be all right
There Is no occasion for alarm"
Mr.. Trigg's statement was taken aS
an answer to j. Franklin stevens pres
ident of the Engineers club, chairman
8 Tor southern Pennsylvania Of the power
division of the Federal fuel administra-
i tion for the State. Mr.. stevens said
yesterday that neither Major MacLarcn
nor any other person had power tn
handle the situation and that the task
3 would not be difficult for one good man
II only he was clothed with full au-
<thority-virtually the authority Of a die
tator.
Major MacTarcn is here to settle
the problem of power. Mr.. Trigg said.
His headquarters while here are In
q Mr.. Triggs office IN the Land Title
Building. The major today refused
Z to say anything for publication on the
power situation.
voluntary rationing" by consumers
Of electric current is urged by the Phil
adeiphia Electric Company, in a state
ment issued today by Joseph Il. Mccall,
its president
Elimination Of all but the most essen
tial use of current. especially between
the hours of and p. m. is declared
necessary TO assure that war work shall
suffef no interruption.
Attempts Of the company to induce
the State fuel adm nistration to make
such rationing compulsory failed when
conference was held Monday. and pre-
cfpitated dispute as to whether cur
rent shortage threatens the city Busi-
ness men, engineers. the fuel admins
fration, and war work officials have
voiced opposing op Mons and it is pre-
dicted that n Federal power administra-
tor Will be appointed for this city to
straighten out the tlngle.
Howard Coonlcy vice president of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation. asserts a
decision by the GoyCrument may be eX-
pccted at any moment.
Tr'gg Insists There is Surplus
Mr. Trigg has issued n statement re-
iterating his assertion that Il surplus of
current is available despite assertions
: py the company that huge shortage
existed and actual famine was imminent
he declines to reply to criticisms by
Mr.. Stevens, Mr. Stevens branded Mr..
the existence of Il surplus, although he
saEreed there is sufficient current to meet
4 4fesent needs, barring accident.
state Fuel Administrator Potter re-
fuses 70 discuss any phase of the situa-
Z tl0n except when +. L. Cole, directed
4 81 conservation. is present 10 lend his
no. Mr.. Cole is out OF town and con-
ecquently no explanation is forthcoming
~ to why the fuel administration re-
peatedly announced a current shortage
or l20,oOO kilowatts. but later swung
around to the position that no electricity /
crisis threatens. /
Business Men Anxious
Business men are manifestng eager /
ness TO have the whole situation clari- /
ned. They want to know when lighting
restrictions will be lifted. They are
losing money steadily, they say. and .
are unwilling to continue to do so un-
less 1t is a patriotic necessity.
The need for economy is set forth bv J
the Philadelphia Electric Company as
follows:
The return TO sun time means the
overlapping of already heavy light
IN and power loads between the
nours OF p. m. and p m.-the
peak or the demand on our generating |
and distributing system--and a pos
slpie shortage Of power at that time /
particularly. The cooperation of /
every business. every citizen and every 4
household IS required in order that /
war industries depending on this serv-
ice shall have fun consideration dur
Ing this critical period
Practically. speaking, this means i
eufninatlng the use or any unucCes-
sary light motor or heating appl-
ance, particularly between the hours
or p. m and 7 p. m.
r,,ALi Al customers of the philadelphia
f.lectrlc Company who have signed /
contracts for electric Fight and mower
are assured of continuous servica i'm
accordance with the terms of their
contracts, unless an Unforeseen con-
tingency or emergency should arise
II ii becomes necessary to restrict
the use OF power--and to the best c,f
our belief and knowledge at the pres
---such restrictions will be effectivc
time. u
voluntary, intellIGentlv restrictd
use OF electricity on your part for any
purpose whatever during the da vtin1a 4
Will release capacity for importaut
work; while the elimination of anv
{ning but absolutely the most espn
klAi lisht and power use between the 4
oQurs of p. m. and y. m during
:tae coming months win help avoid a
2N1I1ous crisis.
= ~ 81 this voluntary rationing" in the
~ electric light and power is fol- !
%42Weu out by every individual mo mat /
;49r. how small the saving involved il
~ hardly probable that official actiom
- more drastic nature will be nee
1qnary. 'e'
Trigg Stands His Ground
XeAr, Trlggs statement follows.
./$rNnere nave been so many inyestiga
lo and SO much confusion in refer
t0 the power situation that il seems
time something definite was done
n regard to 1t.
& 4hese investigations and the confu-
surrounding the situation have de-
~ progress on work which should
yell under way at this time. From
1nformation ! have from disinter
power experts representing the
ument there VIII be, figuring On
4fW equipment which II Is expected
- In operation shortly at the Ches-
D&ant Of the PHILADELPHIA Electric
1eny. generating capacity suffi-
" carry the load this winter nro-
there is no breakdown anywhere
~ system.
xas the opinion of Doctor Maltbie
<Ing conference held here Iast
Qf which he was chairman. that
fuation Indicated surplus this
OF from $4,000 to $4,000 kilo-
must be remembered this estimate
- upon everything running fun
NJ and does not provide for shut
accidents and CONTINGENCIES
nay arise.