New-York tribune., 1918-01-17

Fuel Administration came like thun
Gcrclap to the financial and industrial
leaders of New York city last night
most of them expressed confidence IN
President Wilson and DR.. Garfield and
EXPRESSED Willingness to stand the sac
rifice which the closing order cntailed
The head Of one Of the biggest bank
ing houses of the country said that the
order was purely one of cXpedlency
and that he would not criticisc it with
out gathering a mass OF data, such as
the President and DR.. Garfield must
have at their disposal. The measure,
he said, was obviously one that was
found to be necessary to help WIN the
war and it was not levelcd against
labor or against capital. but against
everybody. as everybody was in the war
and had to help win it.
The labor leaders protested. however.
They seemed to take for granted that
employees would not be paid for the
time they were forced to lay off by the
government order. They also expressed
doubt that people would be able to buy
coal even after it had been shipped
here in sufficient quantities if they had
no money to pay for it. They sug-
gestcd appealing to President Samuel
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor to present an alternative plan
lefore the closing order became etfcc-
tive.
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT: 81
agree that the drastic order just made
by DR.. Garfield has the sound Of real
war in it. hope it is based upon cX-
pert knowledge Of the situation. But
| know that whatever sacrifices are
necessary the American people will
make checrfully."
JUDGE ELBERT II. GARY. chairman
of the executive committee of the
United States Steel Corporation: 81
have no comment to make on the order.
| have heard Of it, but cannot express
an opinion on the matter"
MAYOR HYLAN: "T will not make
any comment until hear officially that
such an order has heen issued"
FRANK l.. BOWLING. President Of
hot =
order has been issued it will add more
misery to the people of the City of
New York than the shortage of coal IT
self. 1t seems to me that the order is
100 drastic, and hope it will be modi-
fed"
CHARLES L. CRAIG. Controller of
New York City: 81 think it is the
duty Of everybody to stand behind the
government and win the war;
H. G. S. NOBLE. president Of the
ways been the policy Of the New York
az the banks and trust companies are
open, in order that call loans Of the
banks and trust companies may remain
liquid.
WALTER c. TEAGLE, president of
the Standard Oil Company of New Jer-
sey: ut seems like big order that
has come out Of Washington, but the
country Will have to stand whatever is
ordered these days. and nobody knows
how much the country can stand unit:
it is tried. The Standard Oil Company
Of New Jersey employs between seven
thousand and ten. thousand men in
New York halbor. We could run our
reincrics Oh fuel oil, if necessary, and
would not use up one pound OF coal
We would simply burn a part of our
output"
THEODORE l.. SHONTS, president
OF the Intcrborough Rapid Transit
Company: The situation must be
pretty serious for such Il drastic orde,
to be issued from Washington To a
layman the closing order seems ter
l1t llbls' wv hX | am confident that rresi-
mlnlstrator know the conditions and
are applying the proper remedies.
"The more you .hink about the clos.
ing order the bigger it grows. 1t is
enough to take your breath away. Blu,
We are N this war, and we have go,
TO WIN H. We must assume that the
Administration knows best what steps
to take, and we have got to support it
| feel perfectly confident that the in.
dustrlcs Of the country will not be
closed down for a moment longer thar
Is absolutely necessary"
CHARLES II. SABIN, president Of the
Guaranty Trust Company: g! did no
Know that conditions were so seriou.
as to demand such drastic order a.
closing up the industries of the coun
try for five days. But | am coniiden
that president Wilson and DIR. Garfield d
VINO know the situation thoroughly, are
applying the proper remedies. an
director of number of industric
Which employ great many persons
and think they can stand the strain. :
EUGENlUS II. OUTERBRIDGE F
president of the Chamber of Com
mercc: at may be that the Fuel Ad
ministrator has information in his pos
session not available to others which
therefore, makes Judgment difficult
Judging. however. from such informa
ton as is publicly available, the orde
IN question seems to give great en-
couraEcmcnt to the cne:ny and rrea
encouragement to our allies, and
great interruption to the war prepare
tions Of this nation.
ut seems to me that the programm
OF suspension of industries is a de
structive rather than constructive
programme. 1t seems that the mos
drastic efforts should be made to in
crease the production of fuel, rathe