Norwich bulletin., 1918-01-09
'''Coa|BudgetP|an of
 Fuel Administrator
TO REDUCE CONSUMPTION BY MANUFACTURERS
TO SAVE 5O,OOO, ,0OO TONS
Army and Navy, Munitions Works, War Material Factories, Public utiI-
 tiles and Domestic Consumers Not Affected.

WaSn1nyton, Jan. S.-A coal budget plan'' based on the voluntary agree ments of manufacturers not engaged in war work to reduce their fuel con sumption and backed by orders of the fuel administration making the agree ments applicable to all factories of each industry was announced tonight by the fuel. administration as it's meth cd for adjusting demand to supply in 1918.
 Reduction in consumption of possi- bly, 50,000,000 tons of coal for the year is contemplated The army and rrvy, munitions" works. other war material factories public ,untilities and don1es- tic consumers will be the only classes of consumers to receive 100 per cent. of their needs while the war continues.
 Manufacturers Promise.
 Manufacturers already have been called into conference to put the plan into operation and the annual saving promised by the first group will be be- tween 10,9G0,000 and 20.000.000 tons Tn 1917, the increased demand for coal amounted to 100,000,000 tons while the increase in output was about 45.0O,- 900 tons. Under the same conditions this year. the unified tonnage would be taken care of by the reduction ir factories not contributing directly tc the prosecution of the war fCurtailments of fuel consumption necessarily implies reduction of output by the factories, so the fuel admins tration sees in it's programme aid in ths diversion of labor and materials tt war work. The budget" by agreement is adopted in lieu of the often propos ed arbitrary classification of indus tries into essential and on-essentia ! divisions. Brewers Reduction 100000 Tons. One of the striking instances il which curtailment already has beer effected is in the brewing industry Representatives of the American Brew ers' association and others affiliated with the making of beer volunteered { reduction of700,000 tons of coal annu ally. Other industries which hay, been represented in conferences witl the fuel administration have beer paint and varnish. wall paper. confec tionery, artificial ice. boxboard an, glassware. The voluntary reduction of one days running each week by tn boXboard' manufacturers will amour to ,000, GOO tons. a year. and will talk | 30.000 car loads of merchandise freigh off the eongestetl railroads A
 The fuel-.-adfsfHistration has aske fthat othersind ftstries get in touch wit I Washington without waiting for form al invitatioH There are more tha l 100 indl1strles not engaged in wa l work which must eurtail their use 0 fuel because of conflict with the ma tions war needs.
 Industries Will Be Shown. r Committees representing yariou groups of industries will be shown b the administrator the, amount of cos available for all. purposes, the amour required, for war purposes and domes tic consumers, and the total curtail ment which must be affected to suppl Ithees demands They will be asked o patriotic grounds, as we'll as for thei own, future interests. to volunteer
 reduction in consumption and to ad wise the best .method.i of curtailmer
 portions of their own business.
 All arrangemsntsl Tjll be made b
 the manufacturers k themselves. bl
 when an agreement has been reaehe
 the fua administrsti ipn will issue form
 al orders. catryffg -all the penaltir
 provided by the food control law, mal
 ing the agreement applicable to the CT
 tire industry
 Percentages Will Vary.
 Percentages of curtailment probab' will vary in different industries b,
 will be estimated in every case with
 view to practicable and economica " safe shrinkage of output. In proptl . tion as an industry contributes less domestic necessities to the war, it WI naturally increase its "contributio of self limitation"
 Elasticity of the plan is regarded I the fuel administration as one of i
 chief assets. The curtailment of CO consumption when completed w ,. equalize theoretically the coal den1ar : of the country with the supply f. , 1918. If later it develops that the r still is a prospect of scarcity, a sligl 7 increase in the; voluntary curtailnel can be arranged quickly and -witho,
 confusion.