The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-01-17
Legal Experost Busy.

p Ie9di 6APSFoSt busy,
| The legal experts of the fuel admin
istration were busy during the day
preparing the legal text of the order
which it was said probably would be
| more liberal in its exceptions than
had been indicated by the official
forecast given out last night
Senator Hitchcock's resolution read:
Resolved that the fuel administra-
tion Of the United States be and ne
! is hereby requested to delay for five
| days the order suspending the opera
( ton Of industrial plants in portions
of the United States in order that pro-
tests may be heard, investigation
made and information presented"
| A joint resolution to prevent en-
forcement Of the fuel order was in
troduced in the house by Represec.a
tive Smith of New York The reso-
luton declares that 'it is the sense
OF the congress that the order of the
fuel administrator Is unnecessary and
that an efficient movement of cars
and ships and full operation of coal
mines will obviate the need Of shut
ting down OF industrial machinery Of
the country and meet the need of the
| present situation"
, Would Not Save Much.
The resolution was referred to the
| agricultural committee. Its pream-
BILE recites that the order would throw
out Of employment thousands of
workers and that the unremittent run
ming of the Industrial machinery of
| the country would not result in any
considerable saving of fuel because
i large furnaces and steam plants can
not be extinguis.ed and started again
with ny economy in fuel.
In the house Representative Mad
den. of Illinois, Republican, denounc-
ed the order as unnecessary.
Representative Fess. of Ohio, Re-
publican, declared that while the
country was willing to submit to any
| inevitable injury necessary to win the
| war, it will not tolerate insufferabla
orders which result from inefficient
administration.
All Asked is Time.
"I do not presume the fuel admins
/ traitor has made a mistake, said Sen
ator Hitchcock, "all ! ask is that suf
ficient time be given before the or
der goes into effect to permit the
country to be heard.
"The thing he did has been called
a national calamity. The fuel admin
/, istration may be confronted with
| serious situation IN trying to get coal
for the ships we must send across the
seas or in maintaining the railroads,
but before taking action l think at
least this five days should be given.
Senator Hitchcock was interrupted
by Senator Vardaman, member of the
subcommittee investigating the coal
situation, who said the committee had
mass of evidence it would report
very soon and if a postponement
was effected the senate would have
the benefit of that.
81 regard this order as a calamity
declared Senator Vardaman.
"The situation" continued Senator
Hitchcock, "is an argument for reform
in our government. I predict that be-
fore time elepse we will be compelled
to lodge somewhere absolute power
for coordination of branches OF our
government that are now running
wild The various officials and
branches of the government are not
working in harmony or co-ordinating.
Need War Cabinet.
"It is impossible for the President
with his manifold duty and enormous
task to have all the directions. What
we need is a war cabinet, below the
President and above the cabinet. If
we had had such a war cabinet this
coal order never would have been is
sued
This thing has come like bolt CT
lightning from a clear sky.
'It means the closing Of thousands
Of establishments which are striving
to keep up production. II will mean
the throwing out OF employment Of
thousands Of persons. 1t will involve
establishments that are making muni-
tions for the government In some
cases It will even involve evils Of such
extent that I consider it a wise thing
to pause for five days while an investi
cation is being made.
Senator Calder, Of New York. Re-
publican. supporting the Hitchcock res
olution, cited how q ship builder, pro
testing against the order today said
his ship yard had enough coal 70 run
for three weeks but would have to
suspend tomorrow II the order goes
into effect.
Need Business Men.
II submit" said Mr.. Calder, that
what we need in this nation. in many
OF the commissions are men with busI-
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