New-York tribune., 1918-01-04
Delegation Visited Wash.
ington Last Summer to
Explain States Needs
Northwestern Needs
Were Put First
Now, With War Industr;e,
Menaced, Blame Is Placed
on ''Man Higher Up"
By James Arthur Seavev

HARTFORD, Jan. 3.-In the capjt.,
OF the State Of Connecticut thew mn.
the states fuel shortage squarely IN Z.
the Capital of the Nation. They plac,
the primary blame on the "Man Hiobs,
Up" and with Yankee direcsness. nam.
the name Of him. Under obligation,
incurred here, am not permitted to A
so. The publication of the name. how.
ever, would serve no good purpose. Th;,
person of high authority has trouble,
enough of his own. Therefore, let ths
alleged facts be set down ia order.
Early last autumn, in September n
be exact, Connecticut delegation vso.
to Washington to tell the sAdministn.
tion of Connecticut's coal needs in win.
ter and of the shortage that existed even
then. They pointed out that so per cent
engaged in war WORK, and that those
industries were among the largest in
the country. Then tney warned against
winter shortage and predicted, unless
the necessary action were taken
promptly, conditions almost exactly
like those prevailing III the state TO-
day.
Northwest Is Favored
The tale they told was heard to its
end, and then, in substance, this reply
was made:
The Administration understanding
is that the two sections of the country
in which there is likely to be trouble
this winter on account of lack Of coal
are the Northwest and New England
The Northwest, obviously ought to be
taken care Of first, because. when water
navigation closes, that section will be
in bad way if before that it hasn't
received a reasonable supply Of coal
Connecticut and the rest of New Eng
land are more fortunately situated, and
can wait until the Northwest is taken
care of.
To this statement the Connecticut
delegation offered no objections, but
urged that action to provide for later
needs be taken at once, Sc that beth
! the Northwest and New England could
do their bit in helping to win the war
without being hampered by lack Of coal
What happened? The Northwest was
taken care of to the extent that IL has
received, l am told, 100000 tons more
COdl LndIl IL QSCS, VIM 'o''7
necticut is about 100000 tons short
of the normal supply. Whatever may
be the situation in the Northwest, Con-
necticut for the most part Is badly IN
need Of coal. Many of its people are
shivering. and the successful operation
of its war industries is threatened.
Suffering Is Acute
As to the condition of the people in
some parts of the state. the following
telegram, received at the State Fuel
Administration to-day, will indicate:
4 "Sufield is freezing. Can't you do
something7"
AS for the manufacturers, here is
an example of how fine some of them
have to draw the coal line. One OF
the largest concerns in Hartford,
whose responsibility it is to manu-
facture tools that will enable other
manufacturers to make war supplies
had used up the last pound Of coke
when to-day's work was done. II 1t
has no coke the company may as well
shut down. Twenty-four hours ago
the president of the company heard
that carload of coke had come into
the state, but he did not know where
it had been sidetracked.
He sent out scout to find the car
Late this afternoon the car was To-
Gated. The fact was reported to the
New York & New Haven Railroad and
the road indicated on what siding the
car could be unloaded tomorrow
morning. All night tonight the com,
pany's scout will keep watch and ward
over the car to see that none OF the
coke escapes. The coke will be deliv'
cred at the factory early enough to-
morrow morning to permit the opera
tives to continue their work as usual
This is the narrowest escape from
shut down in Hartford that | have
heard, but the margin Of safety is teo
rarroW when a nation is at war.