The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-17


TO INCREASE PRODUCTION.
Fuel administration officials will
make an effort to increase produc-
tion Mt the coal mines during the
period that other business IS
suspended Mines under contract to
supply industries shut down Will
be directed In supplementary orders
to ship their output elsewhere.
Where loaded and on Its way TO
these industries will be diverted.
It was estimated tonight the en-
forccment of the order would save
total of thirty million tons Of BIZ
luminous coal, which probably Is
about half the present shortage. The
: indications were that at the end Of
the ten weeks Of Mondays holidays
permanent policy OF restricted
consumption would have been de-
termIned upon. This will limit the
use of coal to the less essential IN
dustrtes under self-rationing bas-
sis.
Louisiana and Minnesota, which
lie partly on both sides of the Miss
lssippi were specifically included
as 4 whole in tho list Of states TO
which the order applies.
MAY CURE CONGESTION.
The order is expected to go Ear
towards clearing choked and con-
gested railroad tracks and terrl1-
nails It Was regarded tonight as
likely that Secretary McAdoo, d.
rector-general of railroads, might
declare rail embargo against the
shipment Of the products OF plants
closed down If necessary further TO
relieve the roads.
The critical coal situation ID
blamed on the unusually severe
weather of the last week. which has
made 1t Impossible in many instanc-
es to move coal at Ill and which
has cut off the fuel supplies OF
whole cities.
Officials who worked ont tho cur
tsillnert plan came 70 the conclu-
SION, they said tonight, that the
homes must. be kept warm at all
costs. Reports have poured !nto tile
fuel MISUNDERSTANDING offices for
these days past telling OF intense
suffering In many parts Of the
country. Sume Of the largest cit
les % til. east have run so short ~
fuel already that local facl officials
haye stopped industrial activity to
provide homes with coal.
FEW EXCEPTIONS.
Besides shipyards and factories
producing focd-tuffs the few OK
captions to The general rule forbid
ding the uSe CT coal IN the pcfa"ds
specified arc plants which mus nc
continuously operated 60 prevent in-
Jury to the plants themselves, news
paper plants ard printing establish
nents which publish current and
periodical magazines.
On the Monday holidays. bosIdes
manufacturing plants, the following
consumers will Ec forbidden to use
coal:. Business and professional
Offices Except to prevent free-ing),
except those used Tor government
offices, or banks sad trust companies
and those housing physicians and
DENTISTS; wholesale aud rotal stores
with the exceptions fo- drug stores
and those that sell food; all amuse-
ment places and 'saloouE. State 1uel
administrators may close the pank
and trust company buildings II they
think necessary.
On the holidays subway, surface,
elevated and suburban cars VIII De
permitted to use only the amount OF
coal they normally consume on Sun
days.
Some domestic utilities probably
Will BIO exempted from the order III
supplementary .ruling7, including
laundries, ice plants aad hundreds
OF others upon which the people are
dependent lor supplies and service
Action Expected.
Cutting OFF COIL tn non-esscntlHl
industries lad been expected In
washington for \ week. 1t was OK
planned tonight that they we're not
disseminated against in the order
because OF the fact that it was al
most impossible ~ classify indus
tries as essential and non-cssentiai-
Thousands of factories producing
so-callcd non-esscntials 1t was
pointed out, supply either d.
rectly OF indirectly plEnts Which
which themselves manufacture
goods vitality needed by the govern
meut or By the pubic. Most Oh
The Industries manufacturing war
goods are said ia have on hand
more manufactured supplies await
ing railroad and ocean transporta-
t;on than have the non-csssatlals.
Suspension OF few industries IS cx-
pected to interfere with deliveries
If the railroads eau move +hc goods
In their present congested state.
Officials tonight foresaW that the
German government might distort
mud make much of the order to i'm
proye the morale Of the German
people, but thoy said this danger
was negligible whom compared with
that Of permitting the fuel situation
to continue uutnlproved.
Its Authority.
The order was issued under au-
thority conferred il the Lever fnod
act, which provides fine Of $4,000
or Imprisonment for violation of It's
provisions, and warning was given
that It would be strictly enforced.
To prevent industrial unrest, 1t
WAS said tonight the government
might make formal request Of In
dustr!es affected by the order to
pay their employees during the TIME
they ore idle.
ALTHOUGH nothing In the: order
said specifically that fuel might be
used by steel mills and blast furnac-
es during the five-day period or
holidays tho exception made of in
dustries which might be put out Of
business Is plants were left IN
heated led to tho belief that this
might apply to tho mills. The ne
COSTLY Of keeping fires IN blast
furnaces which pointed out tonight
as tho reason for the assumption
that use of fuel will ho Oer1uitteQ to