Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-01-26
Astounding Order by Garfield
Stops Nations Industries
for Five Days.
CAUSED DY THE COAL FAMINE
Nine Additional Holidays Decreed--
Storm OF Protests Is UnaVaiing--At-
tacks on Secretary Baker Continue
Central Powers Reject Russian
Peace Proposals.
BY EDWARD W. PlcKARD.

At is the earnest desire Of the fuel
administration to prevent entirely any
dislocatIou of industry or OF labor. q"
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 and workshop in the region east of
The Mississippi and including all of
Louisiana and Minnesota. was ordered
closed. with the exception Of those
manufacturing perishable food or food
for immediate consumption. Ten sue
ceSSivc Mondays beginning January II
are ordered 20 be observed as holidays
when The consumption OF coal shall
cease except in specified eases
Doctor Garfield stated that he ex-
pected To save 30,000.O0O tons of coal
10y his order Very likely he will but
his plan, announced without warning.
brought tremendous storm about his
head. lnnumerable business men.
the earnest desire" Of the adminiStra-
tor flooded Washington with protests
and requests for revocation of the
order but it had been issued after con
Snltation with and by direction of
President Wilson and the walters had
no chance for relief save in those indi-
Vidual instances where il was ueceS-
sary 70 prevent injury to health or de-
struction of property
Another aud most important angle 10
the situation was the enforced loss Of
millions of dollars in wages 10 work
erS Some big concerns did not deduct
ANYTHING from the pay of their en-
ployees, hut 1t was beyond hope that
this example would he followed 10y any
considerable number Of EMPLOYERS.
Congress. startled out of Its usual
deliberative calm, got into action i'm
mediately. The senate committee on
manufacturers called Doctor Garfield
before ii and heard an explanation
that did not explain. and the senate
thereupon adopted resolution asking
that the order he DELAYED for five DAYS
for Investigation. This AdmlniStra
tor Garfield, on advice Of the president
ignored In the house various rrSolu
tons were introduced. hut immediate
action was blocked by certain Demo
Gratis.
As finally issued, the order per
mitted ship yards ! essential war in
du>tricS To get coal and remain j.,
operation during the five workles,
days
n
The metropolitan press az the coun
try in general bitterly scored pocto
Garfield for his order and declare,
that it not only was 81 CHASTITY miStuk,
hut exposed 10 the world the utter in
competence Of America 60 meet cen
diIon that throughout tue War ba
confronted the nations allied with %
and vet has called for no such panfck
action by any one of them The sever
winter weather which p8raiyevd traH
and the extraordinary demands fl
fuel due 10 wartime conditions BIT
cited by Doctor Garfield as thc e.a>c
mkiug necessary his order IN
miners hlaWe the railroacS las Sees s,.
shfrroge aud the alroa~i> hsUe To-
starvation policy of the government
toward them Tor the l8~r genera ..t
More coat was mined iu tba I,n.
States last yc1r than ever he5acr. q.
output exceeding tl3t OF 1916 H. fu