New-York tribune., 1918-01-13
Fuel Heads Propose
Drastic Action to
Apply to East
ern States
Zero Weather
Expected To-day
Blizzard Ties Up Fuel
on Way Here; Re-
ceipts in City In
crease Slightly

Declaration Of three legal holi-
days week, on which all industries
in the Eastern states would be shut
down, was proposed by Federal fuel
administrators yesterday as means
of combating the fuel famine and
keeping the Allied shipping upon the
ocean.
All day conferences that were
begun here early in the morning for
the purpose of classifying and clos
ing non-essential industries sudden
ly became engaged in a discussion of
plan that would put all business
but that of food production on a
half-time basis until the fuel supply
had been increased and freight con-
gestion cleared up.
This unexpected turn of events
came Immediately after P. B. Noyes,
personal representative of Federal
Fuel Administrator Garfield, had
told the administrators and fuel ex-
perts here just how serious the sit
uation throughout the country is.
Mr.. Noyes thought that two or three
weeks of this drastic treatment
might effect cure for the Eastern
states, where the grip of the famine
is strongest.
Storm Halts Coal Traffic
Meanwhile, severe snowstorms in
the Middle West had served TO make
coal and other freight movement all
but impossible. The situation upon
the railroads throughout the section
covered by the blizzard. where the tenn
perature has fallen to 90 degrees below
zero IN lake regions, was pictured last
night as hourly growing worse.
Only the fringe of the great storm
struck the New York district. but the
predictions of the Weather Bureau last
night were that the city would expert
ence zero weather to-day, intensifying
the suffering already being experienced
through the fuel shortage
Coal receipts in New York were
slightly increased yesterday But the
few additional tons were not sufficient
to approach tie increasing require
ments of the cily, even with the recent
orders OF the conservation committee
in full force. Anthracite coal receipts
were estimated at $4,000 tons, or some
what over half Of the city's normal re
quirements, wki.e about the same pro
portion of bituminous coal was re-
ported as having reached this side or
the North River
Result of Conference
The final conference of the series
held here during the day was held in
the evening at the Union League Club
Late in the evening State Fuel Admin
'strator Alfred II. Wiggin gave out
this summary OF the situation:
"At conference at which p. 3.
Noyes, representative of DR.. Gar
field. Federal Fuel Administrator; A.
IL. Smith; assistant director general
Of railroads, and members of the
local fuel board participated, it was
agreed that conservation methods
should not be confined to this local
ity, but to all the Eastern states, all
of which are in the same condition
as regards coal supply. Mr.. Noyes is
not ready to announce details. but
wishes to confer with administrators
of other states before reporting to
DR.. Garfield, from whom the final or
ders viii come.
mo further orders as to conserva-
ton at the present moment If pos
sible, such orders will be delayed un-
I'll Dr.. Garfield issues general or
dcrs imposing restrictions upon all
Eastern states.
This does not indicate that the
situation is any less serious The
shortage Of fuel continues most
/ alarming.
The unloading at the docks within
the last twentyfour, hours shows
some improvement, bu. it is not any
where near sufficient for .hc needs"
After MIR Noyes had famiiarizea
himself with local conditions by careful
study of reports from local admins
traitors during the morning he began
a telephone conference with DR.. Gar
field which. with brief intervals Of rest,
continued throughout the afternoon. 1t
was agreed that immediate action must
be taken TO curtail the coal consump-
ton OF the Eastern States. even if the
big war industries of the Atlantic sea-
board had to be tied up for three DAYS
each week
Coal for Ships Needed
The one important business that was
to be given cons sideration, said the ad-
minlstrators, was that OF moving Al
lied ships and supplies. This cannot
be done without a. tremendous increase
in the quantity Of coal arriving daily
at Jersey tidewater. The closing of all
coal-consuming industries. except those
directly involved in feeding the popu-
lation Of these states, was suggested
as the only logical method of accom-
plishing this.
But in order to make the restriction
on these states uniform it was agreed