The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-01-30
U. s, SEIZURES
 OF TOWBOATS
 CAUSE FAMINE
Shortage of Tugs, Resulting From Government Action, May Lead to Great Shutdowns of Munitions Mills During Next Few
 Weeks Through New Engand

sels which were taking New England's winter supplies to our factories, came to Washington and laid the facts before the President, the War Depart ment and the Navy Department. But the ships were taken away from us.
 We have protested time and time again and tried in. vain to picture the dire necessities of the greatest pro- ductng center of the country but our efforts have been fruitless. Never has New England been able to ship in more than 37 to 38 per cent of her coal supply by rail. More than half of it has had to come by water. So when storms tie up the railroads we have to close up shop.
 At the beginning of last week it looked as if we were going to get some bituminous coal. Remember New England annually consumes 32 OO0,0OO tons of bituminous and 13,000,000 tons of anthracite coal. For the most part this is brought in dur ing the summer. This year we were deprived of the ships and we could not get in the supply.
 ''We were down to bedrock at the Db2luullS Ol ldSl WeGh- AL we hoped that we could get through this week and through the shipments of last week be ready to meetrthe in- dustrial and public needs of the dis trict for next week. But we made no | shipments last week,
 ''The Fuel Administration had some ships at Hampton Roads for us but the government put twenty-five of their vessels in ahead of ours at the docks. For all I know it was a war necessity. I know that we were un- able to ship any coal from that port for the first five days of last week l That means we will have no supplies for next week.
 Tt has been a miracle that we have been able to get along as we have for so long. From messages ] received today it would seem that Boston office buildings and stores will have to close next week. For the last three weeks in Boston we have been ladling out all our coal, harG and soft, in 100 pound bag lots tc | householders.
 "On January r the steamship Achilles brought us 12,400 tons of bi ] LulIL4uOOo' we dlNIu6u In1S cargo among forty-six hospitals, town DOW CT, water and lighting companies, giv ing Boston retailers 5000 tons for dis tribution to Jfouseholders, when tn, normal hoLsec consumption of the cit, is 5000 tons daily. Some of thi coal went into every New ESnglant State in lots of from sixty to 400 tons It is all gone by this time.
 ''T wish to make it clear that I hay, no criticism to make of the Fuel .Ad ministration. Dr. Garfield has worked early and late to help New England but there has been short sightednes. shown by the Government
 'eThe Rhode Island situation is yer, desperate, but it is so in every one O our States, particularly so in Bostor and north. of there. When you stol to think that we must ship 45,O0O;G0 tons of coal Tor our winter uses SO miles you realize that New England supply should have been guarantees
 by some means. Every other indus trial section has mines near at hand but New England is 800 miles iron the mines and she is today doing tn lions share of making our war, sup plies. '.*. '.' '%' , At the best it looks as five woult
 lose two weeks work out of the mex eight weeks, and if we get nor
 stormy weather we will lose muc1 more"