The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-17
STORES TO BE CLOSED
MONDAY FOR 10 WEEKS
Industries Depending Upon
Natural Gas, Use of Wood
or Power Derived from
Water Are Exempt from
the Order


cials declined early to-day to interpre
the various phases of the order, issue
last night, suspending operations in al
manufacturing plants, with. few excep
tions, in all the states east of the Missis
sippi river for five days, beginning Friday
morning as a drastic measure for reliev
ing the fuel famine. Many doubtful
points probably will be threshed out be
fore the order is put into effect to-mor'
row.
Protests began pouring into the White
House and Congress to-day from all over
the country. Business men everywhere
objected to the enforcement and suggest
ed many other remedies.
The government will buy all coal con-
signed to suspended industries, and it is
estimated it viii cost about $25, 100000.
State fuel administrators will redistrib-
ute the coal to food plants and other in
dustries permitted to run.
The order will not include natural gas,
nor the use of wood as fuel nor power
derived from water.
At the same time as further means
of relief it was directed that industry
and business generally, including all nor
NAL activities that require heated build
ings, observe as a holiday every Monday
for the next ten weeks. This will close
down on Mondays not only factories, but
saloons, stores except for the sale of
drugs and food places of amusement and
nearly all office buildings.
While the order does not mention ship
yards, it is known that they will be per
mitted to continue operations as usual,
although munitions plants will be closed
The governments move came suddenly
and entirely without warning in an order
issued by Fuel Administrator Garfield
with the approval of President Wilson
prescribing stringent restrictions govern
ing the distribution and use of coal. It
was decided upon hurriedly by the presi
dent and government heads as a desper-
ate remedy for the fuel crisis and the
transportation tangle in the eastern
states. Even munition plants are not |
excepted from the closing down order.
Preferred Consumers.
The order prescribes preferential list I
vi tOflSuliltIs III NHDSt IHIeftsI IL WAS !
drawn. These users will get coal in the /
following order:
Railroads, household consumers, hos
pitfalls, charitable institutions and army
and navy cantonments.
Public utilities, telephone and tee-
graph plants.
Strictly government enterprises, ex-
cepting factories and plants working on
government contracts.
Public building and necessary govern
ment, state and municipal requirements.
Factories producing perishable foods
and foods for immediate consumption
Announcement of the provisions of
the order was made by Fuel Administra-
tor Garfield after White House confer
ence which was attended also by Seere-
taries Baker and Daniels. Earlier in the
day DR.. Garfield had sought the views of
other officials and it was the unanimous
opinion that the measure contemplated
was necessary under the circumstances. :
As at first drawn and as approved at .
The White House the order called for the
losing of factories beginning this morn
ng This was changed upon the consid
.ration of the confusion which would re-
,ult when millions of workers went to I
heir duties unaware of the governments
tep.
Inclusion of war industries among
hose to which the fuel will be denied {
aused some surprise, but fuel officials V
explained that war plants have been pro- o
lucing so much more material than the +
systems can handle that G
10 serious effects will be felt War sup a
lies manufactured for export have q
moved TO seaboard faster than ships can D
move them. o.
An exception is made in the case of Il
plants because Of the great y
eed for vessels to move supplies already
eady for .hipment overseas. il
Fuel administration officials will make m
n effort to increase production at the N
cal mines during the period that other n,
usiness j. suspended. Mines under con Il
ract to supply industries shut down will
e directed in supplementary orders tai
md out their output elsewhere. Coall
aided and on its way TO these industries \
III Be diverted.
II was estimated the enforcement Of
le order would save a total 81 30O00n00i
ms Of bituminous coal. which probably ce
about half the present shortage. The IA
.dications were that a. the end Il the n
N weeks II Monday holidays . perma- ur
snt policy Ct restricted consumption v.