Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-11
POWER BAN HERE
MAY BE OFF SOON
Current Controller Goes to
Confer With Washing
ton Officials
CUT IN EFFECT TODAY
II l. Believed Cessation of
Certain War Industries
May Relieve Situation

The hg cut in the use OF electric
power. affecting virtually every industry
In Philadelphia except those actually en-
gagged IN war work, which went into eff
feet at o'clock this morning, is not
likely to bc continued more than two or
three days.
Major Malcolm MacLareu. T. $. A.
power controller for this city and vicin-
ity, who ISSUED the poWer-reduction
order. left today for Washington, where
he will consult with the heads Of the
fuel and power Administered ions as well
as with the war industries board The
cessation of hostillties will. IN all prob
ability, mean the shutting down Of some
munit!ou plants and other vital war ac-
tivitieS.
The consequent reduction IN the
amount OF power needed in this district
will IL is believed, enable Major Mac
Laren to either lift the present embargo
entirely or modify IT to Il considerable
extent.
The breakdown Of 3J.Oo0-kilowatt
dynamo in the Philadelphia Electric
Companys plant at Christian street ana
the Schuylkill River Is directly responsi-
hie for the ban on the use Of electric
current But Major Mact.aron said to-
day he had warned local Industries sew
fl al Wtfke dE' lllul lllf' htllldilu W dS
slowly but surely catching up with the
supply and that even If the broken
dynamo had not forced him To take ac-
tiou today the issuance Of q reduction
order could not have been delayed much
longer. The change back t. sun" time,
the speeding up Of business activities.
with the longer hours given the stores
and the rush Of business after the sum-
mer loeway would have mace u cut
necessary If the war industries were
to be kept running at full capacity
Nonessentiais cut
Under the regulations In effect today
plants ranking as nouessential on the
war Industries boards priority list VIII
receive no power At all from tn" Phil-
adelphia Electric Company between I
clock a. IN. and o'clock y, m. Between
y. m. and a. IN. they can have their
usual total.
Industries in the fourth class on the
priority list will bo given only htty per
cent. of their regular totai during the
hours between a. IN. and y. m, hut
can use their regular amount between
. p. iu. and q. IN.
Industries in the third class will be
allowed to use thirty-three per cent OF
their normal quota of power between
: a. m. and .. m. and their full quota
between y. m. and a. m.
Industries in classes one and two VIII
receive their full daily quota as usual
until orders as to their reduction come
from Washington.
It is the plants in the first and second
/ classes that are likely to be cut out en-
tirely If the expected halt is called on
industries engaged IN war work only
prder Hiu surprise
/ The power reduction order came as .
big surprise to many manufacturers, as
they had believed there was a surplus
. Of electric current rather than the mar
row margin between supply and demand
/ claimed by jor MacIaren. II was
/ pointed out by the power controller
/ however, that ample warning had beer
/ given that the danger line was being
/ approached.
No data are available TO show how
many plants are affected by the new
ruling nor even exactly how much cur
/ rent will be saved by the sweeping cut
/ But IL is estimated that between l5,O0(
and 10000 kilowatts will be conserved
enough To- supply the Class l and Clas,
industries UP TO their full needs auC
/ TO meet the demands Of the railroads
and the trolley companies.