Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-01-18

millions in production are involved il
the industrial suspension. Answerin!
complaint on this score, Garfield de
iclared:
"There are thousands in Europe
and more still to go there who viii
lose more than wages or income" /"
Having given the president author
Iity to act in such cases as the pres
ent congress has burned its bridge.
behind it so far as the Garfield order
lis concerned. The only step which
could be taken to make the order in
defective would be to repeal the food
law immediately-an that is not
thought of seriously
That the law may later be amended
to strip it of some of its power, how
ever, is limited at by some today.
Today there was some tendency tc
pass the buck by friends of both Gar
sfield and Secretary McAdoO. Each
group shunted responsibility for the
order Conceded to be full of political
dynamite) on the other official Gar
field s friends say it was necessary tc
help McAdoo out of a railroad tangle
while McAdoo's friends say he had nc
knowledge of the order IS scope be.
fore it was issued. But Garfield says
that rail congestion, not car shortage
need for restricting manufacturing
to save freight space-is the underly
ing reason for the order Cessation Of
output for fourteen days will enable
the national railroad to clear its
tracks and get ipto shape for more
rapid handling of freight in the flu
ture.
Throughout the coal fields, scores
even hundreds-of mines are lying
idle because of railroad inability to
supply the cars to carry away thei1
product, the fuel administration
stated. FCoal mines cannot run with.
out cars. Cars cannot be supplied
while railroads are crippled by the
present freight congestion, which
keep idle ears lying useless in freight
yards.
'War munitions, food, manufactur-
ed articles Of every kind lie at our
Atlantic ports in ten of thousands of
tons, while literally hundreds of ships
waiting, loaded with war goods for
our men and the allies, cannot take to
the sea because their bunkers are emp
ty of coal, - the fuel administration
stated. "The coal to send them on
their way is waiting behind the con
gested freight that kls jammed all
terminals 1t is worse than useless to
bend our energies to more manufaetur-
ing when what we have already man
lies at tidewater congest-
ing terminal facilities, jamming the
railroad yards and sidetraeks for long
distances back into the country.
Added to this has been the diff
Guilty Of transporting coal for our own
domestic needs. The wheels are chok-
ed and stopped. 1t was useless to con
tinue manufacturing and pile eonfu-
sion on top of confusion. ;"
DR.. Garfield s final order, issued in
its complete form, did not vary in
essential details from the preliminary
issued Thursday. State fuel
are empowered to di-
vert fuel in carload lots to meet cur
rent requirements and to provide for
the normal requirements of the pre-
ferred industries.
Food manufacturers not working on
perishable products or food for nee
essary immediate consumption may
operate provided they make appliea-
tion to their state fuel administrators
through Federal Food Administrator
Hoover.
Extensive preparations against dis
order among the millions of workers
forced into idleness are under way.