New-York tribune., 1918-01-14
Actual Shortage May
Anticipate Proposed
Half Time"
Schedule
Drastic Order by
Garfield Expected
Meanwhile Ice-Choked
Harbor Blocks Ship
ments; Suffering
Increases

Empty coal BINS threaten to antici-
pate drastic conservation orders from
Washington and automatically close
many big industries throughout New
York City to-day.
Ihe prospect Of such partial paralv-
SIS OF the city's business was an
nounced yesterday by State Fuel Ad-
minlstrator Albert II. Wggn in the
lace OF the sma lest coal receipts since
the beginning Of the present fuel
famine. Considerably less tnan 10000
tons Of coal trlckled into New YORK
yesterday. although every svaiIable
transportation agency was impressed
into service.
One more day of conferences among
fuel administrators here resulted in
the announcement in the evening tha,
the entire programme for curtailinc
luel consumption in the Eastern
States, including the proposal to close
up practically all business for three
days of each week. has been turned
over to Fuel administrator II. A. Gar
field for action. 1t is thought that
he will issue the most farreachins or
ders that have cmanated from the capi-
tai since tho Hesinning of the war
after final conference with, F. B.
Noyes. his personal representative
here and in the New England States.
No Respite in Weather
The Weather Bureaus prediction Of
continued cold weather to-day fur
nished no cheer for local fuel admins
traitors who predicted increased suf-
fering for the poor.
Yesterday the mercury dropped to )
degrees above zero. Snow, which viii
make fuel delivery more difficult. is
predicted for tomorrow.
The most important conference OF
the day was held in the Office of A. II.
Smith, assistant director of railroads.
in the Grand Central Terminal. State
Fuel Administrator Wiggin and practi
caly all of the other local fuel experts
here participated in a final discussion
with Mr.. Noyes in al effort to show
iiiiH Iildt lllc Uccu5 OIL iEE CITY were
sufficiently important 20 call for a
priority order assuring the delivery of
stipulated number of cars OF fuel here
daily.
Although the meeting was held be-
hind closed doors it was admitted that
the proposal to proclaim three day-a-
week holiday throughout the Eastern
. states, in which the production of war
materials is greatest, had been the
chief topic of conversation. Incident
ally. Mr.. Wiggin again emphasized his
belief that New York should not be
called upon to make any sacrifices that
are not being made in all of the other
states involved.
Tie said that the city and state would
submit to any order that might be
issued from Washington, no matter how
drastic, as long as 1T applied TO all the
states. Therefore. he said that no fur
ther conservation orGers of a general
nature would be issued here They
would have to come from Fuel Admin
istrator Garfield. he argued. and cover
New England, New York, Pennsylvania
New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware
! with blanket orders
Half Time" Figures
Although none of the officials IN
! volved could make q definite statement
as to the exact results, either in finan-
clal loss or fuel saving, of the half-timc
plan proposed, unofTicial figures were
offered to show how far reaching such
plan would be.
Some of the estimates made, based
upon the census OF 1910, are included
IN the following table:
States involved ....... -
Total population of states ~ 5l- 0or
Employees made Idle ............ al15 .oof
Estimated daiss loss in earnings s2o, 600 0oo
One of the important features Of tho
discussion brought about by the pro.
posed half-time basis for all busines.
had to do with the loss TO workers
Many men and women, it was pointe,
out, make no more than a bare living
working SIN days a week With thei,
working time cut in two. it was sal,
that many of them would have difficult,
life. S A'' 'e'eSsaf'eS o.
1t is generally believed that in man,
industries the half-tim system woul,
result in cutting wages in half. Thi,
Is the case IN the New Jersey factorie.
where halftime has been resorted t.
as a fuel saving necessity. Certai,
businesses might pay full wages in tn.
case OF brief tie-up, said some of the
Investigators of the new plan. but /,
most cases this strain would be create,
than the incomes of business that wouls
: be cut in half by the change. coule
stand
Noyes Goes to Boston
At the end Of the afternoon confer
: ence Mr.. Noyes left for Boston, wher,
he will take up the proposed pro
gramme Of conservation with James J
Storrow, administrator of fuel for tn,
New England states. Immed ately afte.
the Boston meeting he will return /,
t Washington. making it possible. it wa
, said yesterday, for DIR. Garfield to issu,
the new orders tomorrow. TO go int.
immediate effect.
1 The chief obstacle IN the way o
coal delivery in New York yesterda
5 was the constantly increasing menac
Of ice foes in the harbor and tn