New Britain herald., 1918-01-18
RAILROADS HEAVE
 SIGH OF RELIEF
Pleased by Order Allowing Them
 to Move Freight

New York, Jan. 1S.-Weather con- ditions during the five day business suspension ordered by pr. Garfield fuel administrator, will determine the amount of relief obtained, in the opinion of railroad officials. Most of the railroad men seem to be thankful for breathing spell in which they will be able to clear the terminals and permit transportation to proceed along a normal course. They do not wish to discuss the fact that there are thousands of tons of coal at tide water terminals in New Jersey. Tn their arguments the weather condi- tions seem to be paramount
 A. H. Smith, assistant director gen. eral of railroads, yesterday gave out a statement for the public. In part it follows:
 The railroads are not included in the partial suspension order. Under present conditions their duty is to keep hard at it days, nights, Sundays and holidays.
 T wish the public could appreciate what the effects of the weather con- ditions have been and are. Tn fifty years, taking the testimony of the oldest railroad men, nothing ap- preaching them has been experienced. Men and metal have been taxed to the limit of their endurance and be- yond.
 "As I understand the intention, the five day partial suspension order is aimed to give the railroads a chance to dig out and move cars that are ct mai ;,, Nf ot ments. Particularly in New York har- bor, if the ice trouble lessens, the movement will be increased materially between cars and consumers.
 Tt is hard to explain what the sit uation has been. Ice has been gorged up against the pier heads, and it has been with great difficulty that boats and barges have been pushed and crowded through the ice to get be- low the chutes to receive the coal, and then after being loaded it has l been difficult to get them out of the ice which packed up against them while they were being loaded.
 Of prime importance, which must be obvious to all who will consider the question, is the bunkering or plac- ing of fuel on board the many steam ships which have been sent to New York Harbor for food and other es- sential materials. When fueled they'll take cargo, which in turn releases freight occupying space required to take in other freight which is held back in cars, on piers, in yards and on side-tracks, congesting operation.
 Tt is the story of The House That Jack Built reversed :-:'Thi is the coal, that fueled the ship, that took the freight, that cleared the space, that released the freight from the car in the yard, that blocked the road. "
 MT. Smith yesterday sent the fol- ! lowing telegram to the presidents of i all the railroads under his jurisdic- i tion:--
 T am advised by the fuel adrniris- ; trator that nothing which helps in the movement of cars is forbidden by 1 pr. Garfield's order directing five day partial industrial suspension. 1 Formal notice will be issued by the fuel administrator at Washington, am giving you information in advance 1 however, in order that you may dis 1 seminate it as widely as possible in your irnme mediate territory. This means i that freight can be loaded into cars and unloaded from cars at all indus trial plants. and suggests the possi- ] bility of diverting labor now other wise engaged to unloading freight and releasing railroad equipment"