The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-01-21
OUR NEWTOWN
NEWS Letter
Especial to The Times.)

chairman of the NeWtOWn Fuel Com |
mittee, returned Friday night from
Hartford where he represented his |
town and the state meeting of the |
Council of Defense called last, week |
by Governor Holcomb. He began at |
once carrying out the instructions of |
Federal Fuel Commissioner Russell as
to conservation of fuel among those
fortunate enough to have their bins
full and called upon the purveyors of
coal to state the exact conditions of
the fuel situation as far as each was
concerned. William Egan of Sandy
Hook reported only a few hundred
pounds of scrapings in his bins but
could give no assurance as to when
he could get any more coal Thomas
]. Maloney of the Newtown Coal and
Grain company reported practically
the same as to stock on hand but be-
Iieved some cars of coal ordered
weeks ago were somewhere on the
railroads. Dealers in Hawleyville and
Botsford had small supplies which
they would sell in small lots to those
without other fuel. They thought,
however. that no families in these
communities would suffer or were ac-
tually suffering, as wood could be
easily obtained, though there was a
disposition among the farmers to raise
the prices for this commodity. The
local chairman of the Fuel Committee
has the power of appeal to Hartford
to fix the prices for wood or any fuel
if complaint is made of an eXorbitant
amount asked by profteers. It is to-
be hoped that his powers need not be
invoked during these times of scarcity.
He is investigating conditions on San
dy Hook, where many families are
without coal, and have resorted to
the use of wood for warming and kerr
Osene oil for cooking. The wood deal
els are reasonable in price, $3.50 be-
ing the cost of a load of mixed wood,
or about 81 per cord. But the retail
dealers have advanced the price Of
kerosene oil to Is cents a gallon, while
it is alleged the cost to them is less
than cents per gallon delivered in
their tanks. To most people here
abouts, this profit of cents per gal
lon is considered excessive, and the
activity Of these profiteers should be
curbed at once. Upon complaint of
ten users, the local fuel committee is
authorized to take up the matter of
fixing the retail price at a reasonable
profit to the dealers. 1t is believed,
that these dealers will reduce their
prices on oil at once before drastic
action is necessary. Besides as these
retailers also deal in foods and gro
ceries the assumption is growing
among the people that like conditions
of excessive profits prevail in those
products also. But that is up to
Hoover. The local coal dealers were
advised by the chairman of the Fuel
Committee to ascertain definitely what
the prospects for a supply of coal
were, and if dubious. he would take
up the matter with the Federal Fuel
Commission at once.
In the matter of the Monday hol-
iday. all saloons in town were notified
to close up tight for the day, which
all agreed to do. In the Industrial
field all the shops in town were in the
exempt class, as the motive power in
the Fabric Fire Hose plant, the Pre-
miere Manufacturing Plant, Curtis &
Son factory, the Harris Wire Mills,
was water power, and lighting was
hydro-electric, in all plants. The
Grove & Keane Button shop which il
come in the exemption class, as the
concern has been engaged for months
in filing an order for buttons for I'M
derwear for the soldiers. This con-
summation is satisfactory to the in
dustrial workers, and the manufac-
turing end of the town will not suffer
the hardships of a shut down in the
midst of winter. The prompt and de
cisive way in which Fuel Director
Glover took up the duties of his of
flee show him to be the right man il
the right place. 1t is now up to The
business men to respond cheerfully tt
the duty of the hour. Ask only rea
sonable profits, do not be tagged a!
a pro6teer. for a profteer will shortl!
be deemed worse than an open pro
German, and after the war will b.
classed with the Tories of the Revo
luton and the Copperheads of Civi
War times
The Fabric Fire Hose company ar
helping out its own employees ant
many families in the vicinity by al
lowing them supplies of steam Goa
from their bins at Sandy Hook TO
domestic use. This makes a bed 0
red hot Goals which takes kindly t
wood. prolOnSlnS the peT1od OF com
6ustibility in the kitchen range. Be
sides this, Superintendent Cole ha
furnished the Inn, St Roses churc
and St. Roses Convent with generou
supplies of coal.
The local board under the stat
Council of Defense has been asked b
Governor Holconb to push the mat
ter Of the sale of Thrift Stamps i
town. and will soon make an earnes
effort for active work in each schoC
district. Besides enrolling the teach
ers 81 the work volunteer canvasse1
will be called for and an active drive
week fixed Newtown's quota is abor
$1,000 So far the work has been let
with the postmasters, and results al
needed Immediately. Newtown hs
responded we'll in the Liberty Bon
and Red Cross campaigns, and wit
everybody working together success
sure again.