New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
Committee Named to Work
Out Plan to Provide
Fuel for Homes
Deliveries Show
Big Improvement
Receipts by Tuesday May
Bring Supply Up to
Normal

Mondays and theatreless Tuesdays,
there will be no more heatless days
for Mr.. Apartment House Dweller.
This important decision was reached
yesterday at conference of the city's
/ fuel dealers and local administrators.
called for the purpose of inquiring into
the needs of this shiverng individual.
1t was the first time his requirements
have been given special attention, but
the conclusions were such that he prob
ably will have no further cause for
complaint unless he is abandoned by
his representative at the front, Mr..
Apartment House Owner.
Fifty coal dealers met at the head
quarters Of the Coal Merchants Asso-
citation, 80 West Street, and listened
to the complaints of approximately 500
apartment house owners, delivered
through E. Halsey Malone, first deputy
administrator for New York County
Also they heard the ultimatum of the
administrator, which was that these
houses hereafter would have to be
given first call on all coal arriving in
the city. Just how the coal dealers
worked out a system of fuelling the
Mr.. Malone, SO long as furnaces were
! kept hot
Priority Order Ignored
1t was explained that under the orig
lnal list of priority orders made out
by Dr.. Harry A. Garfield. chief Fuel
Administrator, the demands of homes,
including apartment houses, hotels and
hospitals, were given first preference.
This priority order according to the
complaints of those who occupy $40
cold apartment houses, has been :g-
I nored by the city's retail dealers.
, After two hours Of discussion q COM
mttee of three retailers was appointed
with authority to work out plan for
providing fuel for the apartment
F.; houses. This committee is made up Of
Michael f: Burns, Of Burns Brothers;
Olin j. Stephens and George j. Eltz.
They agreed that one Of these two
plans should be adopted and carried
, out as soon as physically possible:
]. Division of the city into zones,
for which the retailers in each zone
would be held responsible. All fuel
delivered to dealers in any given
zone would be delivered to fill the
orders of homes and apartment
houses first.
2. Pooling of all fuel reaching
the city. provision being made for
the fueling OF apartment houses
from this common stock before any
other orders were filled.
Many Houses Heatless
I've have long list of apartment
houses that are entirely without COAL"
said Arthur F. Rice. commissioner for
the coal mems organization. "These
houses must be given sufficient coal for
heating purposes before anything else
Is done here. The details of the plans
now proposed have not yet been worked
out, but will be agreed upon at once"
During the afternoon Reeve Schley,
administrator for New York County.
left for Washington in answer to a
summons from DR.. Garfield to attend
nationwide conference to be held at
the capital Monday for the purpose of
discussing proposals to dispense with
workless days in the future. Numer-
Gus statements In the hands of the ma
tlonal administrator indicated that in
dustrial leaders believed that the work
less Monday had been a failure as q
means both of conserving and moving
coal.
But both the New York State and
city administrators will argue in favor
e, Oh the weekly industrial closing on the
grounds that the situation still is too
critical to admit of any additional coal
consumption. Albert II. Wiggin, ad-
mlnlstrator for the state, said that he
could not speak for anybody but him
self, but that he felt convinced Dr.
Garfield would not dispense with the
workless Monday
I'VE are in too bad shape for anv
change that will demand more coal" he
the weekly closing of big coal consum-
ing industries has been a great SAVING
Of coal" s
TO Tackle Freight Tomorrow
Meanwhile, every agency in anv wav
related to the movement of fuel ~
freight in or about the city was organ
ICED yesterday with the one purpose of
clearing all obstacles away and MAKING
tomorrow a record day for business
Additional workmen and the use of ali
the available motors in the CITY are ex-
pec'ed to result IN clearing up of the
frelght congestion about the city.
All OF the railroad freight offices and
storchouses will be open during the
dav. and practically all night. ANY
business dealing with the handlinp of
freight, either forwarding or receiv;nc
II. was exempted from the closing de.
cree under specific orders issued d,1rino
the day by Mr.. Schley. no
There was material Improvement in
the quantity of coal reaching the c;tv
yesterday Although the $4,000 tons
landed IN Manhattan represented but
1000 tons more than the preceding
day, the Saturday half-holiday was dees
clared to have cut the industrial re-
qulrements for the day in half. leav-
ing big surplus for the reonen-
ing Tuesday morning With good
deliveries to-day and tomorrow =
is thought that the city may come near
or tr to having normal surplus on hand
tuesday than at any time since the be-
ginning of the present famine of fuel
Bad weather conditions in New York
State generally. and the states east Of
the Mississippi specifically, prevented a
clearing up of freight congestion. Fig
ures compiled by the acting commits
sioner of railroads here showed that
there was big increase of stalled cars
IN the area of cold and snow. A white
frcst and low temperature were cred
tied with completely obscuring SIGNALS
IN the Mohawk Valley, slowing up Of ali
| trains in transit in the district. Prac-
tlcally the same condition prevailed
throughout New York State.
The bunkering of steamers in the
harbor was more successfully carried
out during the day, in spite of the shorr
age of barges and towing facilities than
on any other day of the fuel famine