Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-01-19
PREDICT DISASTER.

PREDICT DISASTER.
In the fact of protests predicting
disastrous consequences and formal
request from the senate to stay its
execution temporarily, the order was
signed last night by Administrator
Garfield with the approval of Presi-
dent Wilson.
FEW CHANGES IN ORDER.
AS sent out to state fuel administra.
tors the order contained but few
changes from the form OF the abb
stract made public Wednesday, nor
did 1t clear up to any great extent the
confusion resulting from its lack of
detailed Interpretation.
BY Its provisions manufacturing
plants east Of the Mississippi and in
Louisiana and Minnesota, with rare
exceptions, will be closed for fve
days, beginning today, and virtually
all business activity will be stopped
on every Monday for a period Of 10
weeks beginning January Il. e'
COAL TO ESSENTIALS.
Through its application the fuel ad-
ministration expects coal TO move to
essential consumers, including rail-
roads, householders, public utilities
and shipping interests and produc-
ers of food, in whose behalf the or
der is issued.
A supplementary list of exemptions
issued last night embraces various
industries~engaged inimperativc war
work. Shipyards working on navy
construction, plants filling. contracts
Tor army and navy wooler uniforms.
tent manufacturers and manufactur.
ers of other products deemed neces-
sary for immediate use of the mill
tary forces were named in this list.
In the original order, outline of
which was made public Wednesday
night, newspapers were unaffected by
the fve-day closing, but limited to
holiday editions on heatless Mon
days. indication also was given that
plants requiring heat to maintain
themselves would be permitted to
burn coal for this purpose, but would
not be permitted to operate. This
was interpreted by many as applying
to blast furnaces.
Storm in Congress.
Protest from business interests
throughout the country and the storm
in congress increased today. Failure
of the fuel administration to heed the
senate request that the order be held
up until an investigation could be
made led to all agitation by many
senators in favor of making direct
appeal to President Wilson.
The senate's request was in the
form OF resolution debated and pass.
ed by a vote of 50 to 19 about the
same time Mr.. Garfeld's signature
was affixed to the order. Prior to that
time the fuel administrator had been
before the senate investigating COM
mittee to give his reasons for the
move.
In the house, action on resolution
requesting postponement, introduced
by Acting Republican Leader Gillett,
was prevented after sharp debate, by
refusal of Representative Cox, demo-
crat, to give unanimous consent for
its consideration.
Garfield Makes Statement.
The fuel administrator justified his
action in a lengthy statement last
night. in which he said the order was
prompted by the necessity for fur.
nishing the American army abroad
and the allies with food and supplies.
The country, he said, had reached
point of overproduction as far as
distribution was concerned and manu-
featuring plants could we'll afford, to
remain idle for a short time until
transportation, both rail and water,
could catch up.
In replying to insistent questions
as to why plants already supplied with
coal should be- shut down, DR.. Gar
field declared railroad terminals
were filled with loaded cars and unless
production ceased temporarily cars
would continue to be loaded with
manufacturing products and stalled III
yards when they should be used for
the movement Of coal.
No Coal for Ships.
"War munitions, food, manufactured
products of every description" said
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